


The Pact

by writeme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Black Hood - Freeform, Drama, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt & Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Soulmates, barchie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-21 02:37:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 61,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13731339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeme/pseuds/writeme
Summary: When they were young they made a promise neither of them had ever forgotten. Sometimes everything you were looking for has been right in front of you the whole time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first Barchie (or Riverdale in general!) fic, so please be gentle and forgive any mistakes or errors. It somewhat follows the plot of the most recent episode but with some canon divergence, obviously. I would love to keep writing if I have enough interested readers so please leave me reviews and let me know what you think! I have loved this pairing since the comics and truly hope we get to see them together in the show!

Few people had experienced the amount of trauma that Betty Cooper had already endured as a teenager. What the Black Hood had put her through had left deeper scars on her than she’d let on. Other than Archie, no one in her life really knew what had happened that fateful night. 

Maybe Dark Betty had always been a part of her, but after that night, the darkness had overwhelmed her. Maturity may have told her this was her reaction to trauma; that she needed to find someone to talk to. A healthy relationship with her mother would’ve found her a confidant, or at the very least a professional to talk to. Alice, however, would never have responded rationally if Betty had told her the details of that night. She’d have put her youngest daughter on house arrest permanently. After everything they’d gone through with Polly, Alice was just looking for a reason to micromanage Betty’s life even more. So, Betty had sacrificed her sanity for her freedom. Some days, she regretted it.

 She told herself she’d deal with all of this one day. In order to avoid that ‘one day’ being any day soon, she’d brought Chic into their lives. He served as a distraction for Alice, if nothing else.

 She probably should’ve been sadder when Hal left. The final straw in the undoing of her perfect little nuclear family. Yet, she’d felt relief. Watching her parents increasingly loveless marriage fall apart had not been a fun ride. They were toxic on their own and even worse together. Having him out of the house was one less pair of eyes to worry about watching over her. How sad that her relationship with her parents had devolved to thinking about them in such ways. How equally sad that she was already so desensitized to it.

 She sat there on her bed, math notebook open to notes she was meant to be studying for her upcoming chapter test, too wrapped up in other problems and worries to be concerned with something so trivial.

 Things with Jughead were more complicated now than before. They’d slept together. She’d resist calling it ‘made love’ when the act had been committed on the dingy couch of his father’s foreclosed trailer and hadn’t necessarily been a moment born of love but one of desperation. She’d imagined what it would be like so many times; her first time with him, and it hadn’t turned out like any of the ways she’d dreamed up. Neither of them had been in the right place or state of mind for something so intimate. Instead of making her feel closer to him, it had made her feel farther away.

The world Chic had shown her hadn’t been quite the escape she’d been hoping for. Instead of giving her a place to channel her darkness, it had started to feel more overwhelming; more inescapable. This thought had brought her off her bed and over to her closet where she’d stowed the black bob cut wig and lingerie ensemble in an intricate hiding place where she knew her mother, queen of the snoops, would not think to look for anything incriminating.

She’d just reached her hand towards the lid when she felt the buzz of her phone vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. She pulled it out, intending to hit ignore. However, she was surprised to see Archie’s name flash on the screen and it was enough to tempt her into finding out what he had to say. So she swiped to reveal the message and upon reading it, she couldn’t help but smile.

  **Pops?**

She didn’t even give it a moment’s hesitation to consider if Alice would be okay with it before typing her reply.

  _Always_

 Tucking her secret stash back into it’s hiding spot she changed quickly out of the floral sweater she’d been wearing into something a bit more casual, a simple pale yellow scoop-necked t-shirt and a cream colored cardigan before pulling her hair back into her signature ponytail. Her eyes darted to the text message window that had made a soft sound indicating a new message had come through.

  **I’ll drive**

Grabbing her notebook from her bed she tossed it into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder for good measure. “Mom?” She called out mildly as she traipsed down the stairs, stopping by the door to slide her feet into pristinely clean white sneakers.

Alice rose from the couch and her face instantly affixed into a scowl at the sight of Betty obviously getting ready to head out. Before she had a chance to speak, Betty did. “Is it okay if I go study with Archie? We have a huge test in math tomorrow and somehow, explaining it to him actually helps me understand it better!”

Her mother eyed her suspiciously, her eyes scanning over Betty’s outfit choice and backpack. She considered her daughter’s appearance and then searched her eyes for an uncomfortable length of time before their exchange was interrupted by a light knock at the door.

Since the older woman was holding her in a staring contest, she didn’t let her gaze falter but she silently hoped it wasn’t Archie at that door because he was a horrible liar and one look at him, Alice would know she had zero intentions of studying.

The shorter woman broke their eye contact first, probably hoping the opposite of Betty, that it was Archie there to prove her daughter was hiding something. Instead, to both of their surprise, she pulled the door back to reveal a man in a serpent jacket.

“FP?” Both Cooper women said his name in confused unison and Alice looked from her daughter to her former lover seemingly conflicted about which avenue to explore.

“We need to talk.” The male voice spoke, allowing the younger girl the perfect escape.

Betty knew she only had so many opportunities for a distraction such as this and she wasn’t going to squander it. She could see Archie already sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck from the angle of the open door. “Thanks mom!” She spoke definitively, definitively making up Alice’s mind for her. 

And before she could argue or protest, Betty pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek, threw a soft goodbye to Chic and a nod at FP and took her leave towards Archie’s truck. The red head glanced down at her bag and gave her a confused expression before she rolled her eyes, “Had to tell mom we were studying for geometry.” She noted, dropping the bag down on the floorboard as she clicked on her seatbelt. 

He nodded in understanding and turned the key in the ignition, pulling out of the driveway and heading the familiar route to Pops. They drove for a couple minutes in silence before he realized he hadn’t even greeted her. Slowing at a red light, he turned to look at her. She was facing the passenger window, her pupils focusing on some point off in the distance, obviously lost in some thought. “Hey.” He said gently, drawing her attention from the slightly fogged window over to his face, which bore a soft smile for her.

“Hey yourself.” She laughed gently, shifting her body towards him. “Sorry, I was lost in thoughts about vanilla milkshakes.” She lied, hand reaching absently to fidget with the end of her ponytail. “How’ve you been?” Then, as if suddenly having a moment of realization, “Wait, why did you ask me to go to Pops?”

He smirked gently at her; surprised it had taken her this long to ask that question. It was one he didn’t truly have an answer to, if he was being honest. He wasn’t sure what had compelled him to send her that message. Well, he was, but it wasn’t something he wanted to tell her yet. That reason was only part of it anyway. The other half was that she’d mentioned sitting in their both at Pops _with him_ had been her safe place and tonight, he was thinking that he could really use a safe place to escape to. He’d been studying her too long to say it was for no reason so he went with, “I’ve missed you,” With a shrug, because it wasn’t entirely false.

She could tell there was more to it than that, but she was satisfied with his response. “I’ve missed you too.” She supplied gently and reached over, platonically, to squeeze his arm in gentle reassurance. 

They shared a long look, one that spoke of many things left unsaid and he had half a mind to lean over towards the middle like they had that night in her car not long ago and reenact that kiss. But he stayed in his seat and shifted his gaze back to the road when the flow of the streetlight changed from red to green. That would just be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it? There was too much left to be said first.

The ride to Pops was short and the silence was a comfortable, welcome one, a moment for each of them to collect their thoughts and bearings. Once they parked and preceded inside, they sat in _their_ place and, with each taking a sigh of genuine relief, they shared a soft smile.

By the time Pop Tate was sliding their usual orders in front of them, Betty was feeling almost like herself. She shook her head, leaning on her elbows as she took a long sip of creamy deliciousness. “How have you been?” She asked finally, breaking the serene placidness that had surrounded them previously. 

He knew the little bubble they’d created for themselves wouldn’t last forever but he was said to see it popped nonetheless. He thought for a moment and then responded with; “Weird.” He frowned, leaning back against the back of the booth with a sigh and contemplated where to start. As his eyes found hers across the table, he found the words came more easily than expected, but then, Betty always possessed the ability to put him at ease and get the truth out of him. Propping himself on both elbows he leaned across the table towards her and a paraphrased version of his last two weeks came spilling out. From the FBI agent contacting him to find out there was no FBI agent in the first place, he told her every detail of his ordeal with the Lodge’s and Hiram’s pet project of ‘taking him under his wing.’ 

By the time he finished explaining, his blonde best friend was reeling, ponytail bobbing in exasperation. “Okay wait you’re telling me;” Betty leaned forward on her own elbows, closing the space between them even more as she dropped her voice. “The whole thing was fake and a test of your loyalty to them and their self-proclaimed empire?” She couldn’t help the disgusted look that tugged at her lips. That was really twisted, even by the Lodge family standards. 

“Pretty much,” He sighed, dropping his hand down to play absently with his straw. Betty reached across the table, grabbing at his other hand, taking it into her own and offering him a gentle squeeze.

“Well, what did Veronica say when you told her?” Archie’s eyes darkened and avoided hers. Shifting uncomfortably, he kept a hold of Betty’s hand in his own. His avoidance of eye contact was rather telling and his female companion took a sharp, irritated breath, hoping he would not confirm her newly formed suspicions. “Please don’t tell me she knew the entire time.” But even if he’d tried to deny it, his face told the truth. _Bitch!_ She thought to herself. “At least tell me she didn’t try to justify it…” The words were mostly a formality at this point; of course she had. 

“She said it was the ‘family way’ and that I should feel honored that I meant enough to her that her parents tested me.” His tone was equal parts anger and sadness. “She said if she didn’t love me, it wouldn’t happen, so I should take it as a compliment and show of loyalty.” His voice was cut with equal parts bitterness and despair.

Betty clasped her hand not holding Archie’s into a tight fist, letting her nails dig into her palm with growing anger. How dare Veronica. How dare the Lodge family. They had been nothing but poison to Riverdale since they’d moved back and especially since Hiram had been let out of prison. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, trying to decide how to respond. She didn’t want her anger to get the best of her, especially not here. Here, in an establishment that had also been tainted by Lodge family blood money. She had some choice words about Veronica and her parents that were dying to come out and just as she opened her mouth to let them fly, Archie was talking again. “So I broke up with her.” He said, voice a hoarse whisper as his eyes found hers again, she saw tears welling in them.

The anger eased its hold over her at that part of his confession. “Oh Arch,” She said, the dark side of her slowly crawling back in as she released the harrowing grip of her fist, ignoring the redness and searing pain she’d left there in favor of moving to his side of the booth. With practiced ease she pulled him into a comforting hug, his face burying into the crook of her neck the same way he’d done it since he was a little boy.

The familiar scent of her was intoxicatingly calming. Her offering of peace brought him some instantly and the tears that threatened to fall stopped before actually coming to fruition. Before he could think or even stop himself, he turned his lips and instead of pressing them innocently to her cheek like he had so many times before, he pressed them to the side of her neck, much more intimately, and he couldn’t help but smile against her skin as he felt goosebumps grow there.

Betty pulled away from him instantly, not because she wanted to stop his actions or give some sign she wasn’t interested, it was quite the opposite actually. In the spirit of full disclosure and honesty she looked right into his eyes. “I slept with Jug,” Speaking the words out loud was her final undoing and though she fought so hard to keep herself together and keep up the façade, she broke down.

He pulled her against him. He could tell by her reaction that it wasn’t exactly a wonderful experience or memory. He’d never dare say the words but he could feel her regret. It enraged the overly protective side of him that had always placed her on such a high, pristine pedestal. As she grasped desperately at the soft fabric of his t-shirt, crying into it quietly, he struggled with his own conflicting emotions and thoughts.

Even though he’d turned her down, even though she and Jug had gotten very serious, he’d still never imagined her being with anyone who wasn’t him either. Of course it was irrational and unfair. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her though, it was quite the contrary honestly, it was that he wanted her to have the best and he wasn’t that. Not then, at least. Probably not yet, either. He pushed those thoughts down in favor of focusing on the present. “Tell me why you’re crying, Bets.” He whispered, his arm trailing up and down her spine in what he hoped was a soothing way. 

She took a ragged breath, collecting herself. It was a few minutes before she actually spoke and she greatly appreciated that he hadn’t rushed her. The truth was, the way he’d worded that question had thrown her off. It had made her think. _Why_ was she crying? A few reasons, really. She decided not to bother trying to craft the perfect journalistically worded version of the story and, much like he had, she let her words just come out. “It…wasn’t what I was…” The words eluded her. “Not what I was, expecting.” She took a breath. “Granted for a long time I expected it to be with…” Her eyes flicked to his briefly and said what she couldn’t. She’d expected the same as he had. That at least her first time would have been with _him_. “I just…” She sighed and his soft, comforting eyes invited her to continue. “We just slept together. It wasn’t making love. There was no… romance.” Her eyes were sad. “I know it’s stupid. It’s just sex. I should really be more evolved than this, I’m a feminist—“ His eyes darkened almost instantly and before she could even finish her tirade, he interrupted her.

“No, it isn’t stupid. It was important to you. It should have been! And it should have been wonderful and romantic. Especially your first time. I am so sorry it wasn’t.” He looked at her and mentally scolded himself for not being able to stop himself from imaging what her first time could’ve been like if it had been with him. As his eyes drifted to her full, pouty lips, he couldn’t help but feel a tightness in his chest, a lust for her he’d tried to deny since that insane night with the Black Hood. 

He knew he shouldn’t torture himself, but the question came any way. “How,” He paused, it wasn’t even his place to ask but fuck it he had to know. “How did it all happen?” Obviously he and Betty hadn’t been the best at keeping in touch lately but last he knew, even since Jug had been back, they hadn’t gotten back together. In fact, it seemed pretty evident that he and Toni had at least hooked up if they didn’t have something actually going on. What had changed so suddenly?

Betty blinked slowly. Where to fucking begin with that loaded question? “Well,” She sighed again and looked around. Pops didn’t feel like the right place for divulging _all_ of the Cooper family dirty laundry. “I’ll fill you in on the background later but it all started with the whole Pickens day thing. It sort of culminated in us kind of decompressing at his dad’s trailer and I was about to leave and I…” She felt her eyes grow glassy again but she refused to cry again, even if they were the only current patrons and Pop had long since disappeared from sight. “I’ve just been so lonely,” She admitted, mostly to herself. “I missed him.” She swallowed hard and let another confession out, “I missed having someone.” She felt terrible saying it out loud. Archie reached for her hand to reassure her there was no judgment there. “He told me he and Toni hooked up but that they hadn’t had sex and that it meant nothing to him. He asked me if I’d been with anyone and I said of course I hadn’t…” She trailed off, her eyes finding his. She couldn’t believe she was even daring to speak these words out loud to him after all this time. “You and I never even talked about that night; sometimes I think maybe I just imagined that kiss because I’ve spent my whole life wanting one from you—“ Her words threw him back and before he could stop and think about repercussions or meaning behind his next actions, his hands were reaching for her face and pulling it up towards his own.

His lips found hers like a magnet. Where there first kiss had been quick and reserved this one was anything but. His tongue moved to part her lips and once successful had begun to explore her own passionately, his other hand drawing her firmly against him. The kiss was deep and full of both love and pent up lust, not just over the weeks since their kiss, but from a lifetime.

 As if suddenly becoming aware of the implications and complications of what he was doing, he broke the kiss, but didn’t pull away from her at all. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” He whispered breathlessly. Before he could stop himself his lips pressed to hers once more, kissing her fully, in case it was the last time he got the chance. “I just wanted to—“ He really wasn’t sure there was anything he could say to justify his actions. “I wanted to show you, it _was_ real. You hadn’t imagined it.”

She’d been taken aback by the kiss, of course, but more so by the fact that she’d so readily and naturally kissed him back. It was so much better than the first time. Her heart clenched at his confession, even though she’d wished that kiss could have lasted forever; ending it was worth hearing those words. “Arch,” She whispered, her eyes searching his, trying to find the will to resist letting her lips find his again. This was hardly the appropriate place for a make out session. “You don’t have to be sorry for that, ever.”

The truth was, he did have to be sorry. If he hadn’t turned her down, he could’ve kissed her like that whenever he wanted. Now, he wasn’t sure of the next time he’d get the chance. He had to shake those thoughts away right now. Pops wasn’t the place for _that_ conversation and he wasn’t so sure that fresh off a break up with Veronica and her losing her virginity to Jughead was the time to explore this avenue. He forced himself to redirect, “Finish telling me what happened.”

“I guess I just thought that it was like a now or never situation in that moment. I wanted to feel… _something._ Anything; real. I thought if we lost it to each other it would feel special and all the love I felt for him would overwhelm all of the bad stuff, but-“ She didn’t need to finish; obviously it hadn’t. “So we did _it_ on the couch in FP’s trailer. It was supposed to be sweet and slow and romantic. Instead it was rushed, quick, and yeah it felt good, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t feel the way it was supposed to. I don’t know. It was very rushed and afterwards I felt sort of the way I wanted to feel from doing it in the first place, but that wore off really quick. I didn’t even stay the night I just went home after. Then there was this whole other craziness going on there.” She shook her head. “I wish we’d nev-“ She was cut off by the buzz of her phone, which she’d placed on the tabletop. Alice’s name flashed on the screen and she quickly unlocked it and answered.

Before she could voice a greeting she heard; “I thought you were studying?” Because why would you allow your daughter to say hello when she picked up or give her a greeting of your own? 

“We are studying?” Betty said flatly, shifting away from Archie slightly, reaching for her backpack as if placing a hand on it granted some validity to her statement.

“Well you’re not at Archie’s.” Alice bit, annoyance evident. “Care to explain?" 

There was no use making up an elaborate lie. It was likely Alice knew she wasn’t next door because she’d tracked her phone. “We were hungry so we decided to go to Pops and study there and grab some dessert.” Her reply was simple and plausible enough.

Her mother seemed to agree, as there was a beat of silence before she responded. “Fine. Well, I have some things to take care of so I’m going out but you better be home by nine and you better believe I’ll be checking the GPS on your phone.” She said coldly.

Betty sighed but knew better than to push or test Alice, especially in her current flustered state. “Understood, mother. I’ll be home at 9.” And before the other woman could respond, Betty hung up. The clock flashed back on her screen, 8:36, they would have to head back sooner rather than later. 

“If Alice is out and Hal is gone maybe I can come up and hang out with you for a little while?” Arch suggested, pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans to throw some cash on the table for their milkshakes.

“I’d like that.” She replied gently, a soft smile on her lips, rising from their spot to head towards his truck. He opened the door for her and before he could close it she stopped the door with her hand and her eyes found his. In spite of herself and the terrible timing she spoke up; “That kiss was-“ She wasn’t sure she had the words to explain but her eyes cast up towards his and she shrugged. They shared an understanding look and both smiled at one another.

“I know. Trust me, I know.” He lingered there for a moment, each of them studying the other’s lip debating if it was worth the risk to steal a kiss from them. The flash of another pair of headlights pulling in to parking lot made the decision for them, unfortunately. Reluctantly, he moved to the driver’s side and got in, sitting down and starting up the truck, driving them home in relative silence once again.

As they pulled onto their street Betty spoke, though she didn’t dare look at him, keep her eyes affixed on some point past the passenger window again. “Remember when we were kids and you asked me-“ 

“To marry me and you said wait until we’re eighteen and ask you again?” He cut in and finished the sentence for her. Even with a vague start, he knew exactly what she’d be referring to as soon as she’d begun speaking. He decided to spare her further embarrassment, noticing her cheeks were already pink; he wouldn’t make her ask the question that must’ve ben nagging at her mind. “Of course the pact stands.”

He’s said it with such assurance and such a lack of hesitation it had actually shocked her. They were only six houses from her own driveway but she couldn’t be bothered to wait, she reached over to pull him in for a kiss. He had enough of his wits about him to slam the car into park before letting his lips devour hers with intense passion, hands roaming about her the best they could at such an awkward angle and position. The knowledge that her empty bedroom sat hundreds of feet away was the only thing that motivated him to pull away. “8:58.” He muttered against her lips, switching back to drive and heading back to her driveway to avoid either of them being on the receiving end of Alice’s wrath if Betty hadn’t fulfilled her promise.

He wasn’t sure if they should keep kissing. He’d only _just_ broken up with Veronica even if his feelings for her had become increasingly physical and less emotional since their original break up around Christmas. Regardless, he owed Betty more than to let her think this was just some rebound from that. “Do you still want me to come over? We can just talk or I can grab my guitar and play you-“

It was her turn to interrupt. “I want you to make love to me.” She said, her voice serious, steady, and completely devoid of hesitation.

Needless to say, her words had taken him aback. “Betty…” He started, unsure of what exactly the appropriate response was in this scenario, he knew he needed to tread lightly.

She was so sure of this though, so sure she wasn’t going to change her mind. “My first time was not what I wanted it to be. Let me have a redo. Give me this one time where I know for sure it is with someone who cares for me and respects me and-“

He didn’t let her finish. Instead he answered her with his favorite form of nonverbal confirmation, a slow and purposeful kiss, broken only when she decided it was time for them to head upstairs. Only time would tell what would happen next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you for the sweet reviews! I am so excited to continue as long as I have readers so keep letting me know what you think, I just love reading your reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! These two have such intense potential, I hope I can do them justice!

Her request was a loaded one and even though he’d kissed her; even though he’d gotten out of the car, walked to her side and slid his hand into hers before following her to the door, he wasn’t sure if it was the right decision. Nevertheless, he’d followed her to the door wordlessly. He was too curious, too invested, to not see how this would all play out.

As Betty stepped up to the door she silently cursed herself. Hal hadn’t been back since she herself had told him to leave and Alice had confirmed her own absence via text, but the youngest Cooper had forgotten one small detail. Chic, thanks to her, was inside. It didn’t exactly feel like the right time for some grand introduction between him and Archie so she turned around before whispering to her ginger companion, “Take off your shoes and carry them upstairs. We have to be quiet.” He nodded in silent understanding and did as she’d said, taking off his shoes as not to leave any traces behind that might rouse the suspicions of the family matriarch. Sliding her key into the lock she turned it as slowly as possible, willing the mechanism to stay quiet in her favor.

Once inside, she placed her keys onto their assigned hook by the door and slid off her sneakers, returning them to their rightful place in Alice’s meticulous order. She moved quietly to check for Chic in the living room and finding it empty, she motioned Archie in after her.

Locking the door behind them, she tugged at his hand once more, pulling him towards the familiar route they’d taken so many times over the years up to her room. Somehow, though, this time felt incredibly different. 

She motioned for him to go inside her bedroom before going up to Polly’s, well she supposed she should really call it Chic’s now, door and knocking lightly to let him know she was home. When no response came, she tried the knob and noticed it wasn’t locked. Turning it gently, she pushed the door open a sliver, peering in to announce she was home. Immediately, however, she noticed the fully made bed and complete absence of her brother. Odd, she thought to herself, heading back towards her own room, pulling her phone out. She stopped in the entranceway, leaning against the doorframe.

Opening her mother’s text window, she drafted a short message.

_Home. No Chic?_

She knew that, with all the events that had taken place in the last few days, she had to divulge this sort of thing to Alice, even if it meant she’d be on her way home in an instant and cut Betty’s plans with Archie short before they’d even started. Her phone dinged with a response with surprising speed, however, indicating that wouldn’t be the case.

**_Chic’s with me._ **

Then, moments later, another messaged popped up.

**_Lock the door. We’ll be home late._ **

Relief flooded in with her mother’s response. She should probably have been more worried about the fact that, when she’d left, FP had a rather unreadable look on his face that seemed to indicate at least some level of urgency. That, coupled with the absence of her mother and brother and the whole dead guy they’d recently disposed of? She should be extraordinarily worried, really. She should be calling her mom and seeing what she could do to help. But, not this time.

Instead, she was just happy for the reprieve, seemingly carved out at the perfect time. It appeared that the stars were aligning for this whole plan of hers and it only served to make her feel more sure of herself and this decision. “It appears we are here alone.” She said, clearing her throat as she spoke, keenly aware of any implications that could be taken from those words. Her eyes found his, where he sat on the edge of her bed, giving him a look that seemed to imply ‘do with that information what you will.’ 

He reached for her wordlessly, beckoning her closer, because even if he wasn’t sure about anything else right now, he knew he didn’t want her so far away. She closed the door behind her and walked over, sitting next to him on the bed, casting a nervous look in his direction. “I want to.” He began, after a moment of tension. “I want you, but;” 

Her features became immediately crestfallen at the mention of the word ‘but’ and he shook his head, his hands reaching to cup her face, hoping to quell her fears before they rose to the surface. “No, don’t get upset, just listen to me.” He couldn’t help himself; he kissed her gently, took a deep breath, and then leaned back so he could look into her eyes before he continued. “I have to be sure this is what you really want, because if this ever became something you regretted, well I’d never forgive myself.” His thumb brushed over her bottom lip softly, in spite of his words. “You are the most important person to me in this entire world. You always have been. I know I have been terrible at showing it lately and there really is no excuse but-“

“You have had a lot going on. And it’s not like I’m winning any best friend of the year awards, myself. We both have sort of failed in that department lately. I know what you mean though. That’s exactly how I feel about you.” She scooted closer to him, so that instead of just their knees touching, her thigh pressed against his. Then, with a sardonic laugh, she added; “I guess that was the feeling I was confusing with being in love with you.” 

In spite of the fact that there was no humor in the situation whatsoever, he seemed to find it just as she had, his tone matching hers. “Funny. I think I just realized that means I’m _still_ in love with you, too.” But then, her eyes found his very seriously.

“Arch,” Her voice was wary and breathy, her eyes watery. He persisted though, despite her cautioning tone. His seemingly misplaced use of the word ‘still’ had her undoubtedly intrigued and hoping for more of an explanation.

“My timing is awful, I’ll admit it. I realized it the night we kissed; that I’d always been in love with you. But I also know that I don’t deserve you. I am not a good guy Betty, not in the way you think I am. And I used to think that you loved this _idea_ of me the way that I had always loved this _idea_ of you. But everything that happened with the Black Hood, it made me see _you_. Not the idea of you I had built up in my head over the years. The _real_ you, the good and bad parts and fuck, I loved every part of what I saw. And we kissed in the car and I knew, Betty. It’s why I didn’t hesitate to get into that coffin so he wouldn’t shoot you because there as no way I wanted to exist in a world without you.” His eyes searched hers; trying to make sure she was hearing all of this.

Betty should’ve been swooning over his words and on some level she was, honestly. It was so much of what she’d _always_ wanted to hear him say. Yet, his confession also made her angry. Her eyes were brimming with tears now, but she took a ragged breath, refusing to let them fall. “Then why did you get back with Veronica so quickly?” Of all the millions of things she could have chosen to say in response to his heartfelt confession and she’d gone with that? That information was certainly prudent to their current situation, though, he couldn’t argue with that.

He broke eye contact with her then and rose from the bed. It seemed harder to say the words when she was so close, so soft and tender, so understanding. “I didn’t want to love you Betty.” He admitted, knowing those words would bring her pain. So he added further explanation before she crumbled completely. “I will never deserve you. I’ve tried to push you away and shelve how I feel about you but I am so tired of fighting it. That’s why I’m afraid of crossing this line because I know that there’s no going back if we do, Bets. It’s never going to be a one-time thing. You’re it for me. It’s going to make me more in love with you than I already am and I won’t be able to ignore those feelings and I’ll give in to them and you just—I know you hate that I think you’re perfect. But you are Betty; you always have been to me. I’ve always wanted to deserve you; I just don’t think I ever will.” They each took a sharp breath and her hands found his, gripping them with great need. He focused his response on her actual question again, “I got back with Veronica because it was the easiest way to hide how I feel about you. It was familiar and seemed safe enough. Selfish, I know.” His confession was earnestly poetic for someone his age, but maybe it was the song writing that had shaped his ability to finally put his feelings for her into words.

Most of her anger seemed to dissipate with that profession of truth. It had caught her off guard that was for sure. But it was raw and honest and real. “I think you should let me decide what I deserve, Arch.” She said finally, after a beat of silence that hung between them like a curtain. Then, she’d risen to stand in front of him. She placed a comforting hand on his cheek and looked at him carefully. She understood where he was coming from; even if she didn’t agree. He was doing what he thought was best for her, just like he always had. But why was it so hard for him to see that being together could actually be what was best for _both_ of them? “You think you’d hurt me if we were together but can’t you see how much it hurts me with you keeping us apart? So if I’m hurt either way, why can’t we just try, just this once.”

“We both know it won’t be once.” He said sternly, but his features remained soft as he explained, “We feel strongly about each other. We’re next-door neighbors. The list of reasons and factors goes on and on. If we do this we have to accept what that entails. How many other people it involves. Who all it hurts.” There it was, that sweet, soft heart of his, always worrying about everyone else. Betty nodded thoughtfully, he was right after all.

But then, reconsidering, she shook her head emphatically no instead. Her words were more daring then either of them may have expected and perhaps they took her off guard just as much as they would him. “Or, we just say fuck those people and worry about our own happiness for a change?” 

It was true; they both had a habit of putting everyone else and their feelings above their own. It took only one split second for him to hop on board and in the next, his lips were meeting hers, kissing her fervently, his arms wrapping around her, drawing her to him. “Okay.” He whispered after awhile, breathless, but still hungry for more.

She smiled against his lips, “Does that mean we’re going to…” She trailed off, letting her fingers rest against his strong chest as he held her there against him.

He paused for a moment, knowing what he said would disappoint her, at least at first. “No,” He whispered, but contrary to that statement, he moved his lips to her neck, kissing and sucking there gently. Suffice to say, his head and heart were not in agreement on this one. “Not yet.” He leaned back, albeit reluctantly, to look at her. “I want to take things slow. Do this right.” He kissed her forehead gingerly. “You said you wanted it to be special, is this really special enough?” He motioned around her room; a place that held so many of their most precious childhood memories. Sure anything would be a step up from the couch in a dilapidated trailer, but still, he wasn’t sure this was right either.

“It’s special because it’s with _you_.” She reminded him, tugging her hair out of the ponytail that kept it back, letting it fall to softly frame her face. “It’s the feelings I care about, not the location.” Fair enough.

“Shouldn’t I take you on a date first?” He asked, though his hands seemed to betray him as they moved up to her shoulders, peeling away the cream colored cardigan that hid her from him.

“You paid for my milkshake, that counts enough.” She smiled gently, her hand coming to rest on his waist as she took a step closer to him, leaning up as if to kiss him but she was waylaid by him speaking again. 

“What if your mom comes home?”

Betty frowned and let out a frustrated sigh, pushing slightly away from him, though it was a halfhearted attempt to do so, “It sounds like you’re trying to get out of this, Arch.” 

His initial response was to kiss her passionately, show her that getting out of this was the last thing he wanted, that he was merely trying to present her with a variety of outs she could take, mostly because he was pretty sure once they passed a point of no return, he’d be unable to control his want for her. “I’m just making sure you’re sure, Bets. Promise.” He tugged his own t-shirt over his head, revealing rippled abs she was still getting used to the idea of. “If you want me to stop at any time just say so, no matter what.” 

She nodded, but stayed quiet. Her hands came up to his ripped chest and trailed down over washboard abs appreciatively, if not shyly. As comfortable as she was around him, seeing him in this way was still so new. “You are so beautiful, Arch.” She observed out loud, a soft blush tinting both of their cheeks at her honest confession.

“I’m not sure anyone’s ever called me that,” He smirked gently, leaning down to capture her lips again in a heated kiss. Now that they weren’t sitting awkwardly in his truck, he could let his hands explore her in the way they had so desperately wanted to before. His hands snaked innocently up her back, drawing her closer before they dared to explore more intimate, forbidden areas. He stopped at the hem of her shirt, as if asking for permission to slide his hands underneath and she answered by removing it completely, letting it fall in a heap on the floor next to his.

As this wasn’t a planned event, she wasn’t wearing any fancy lingerie set, just plain white cotton pieces that didn’t even match, yet she couldn’t have looked sexier to him. “Now that is beautiful,” He whispered, taking a moment to observe parts of her he swore had _never_ looked like that in the bathing suits she’d worn. Her jeans came next, then his, and soon enough they were on her bed, bodies tangled together and lips exploring each other hungrily.

“Oh, Arch…” The way she said his name came out like a moan and ignited an almost carnal need inside of him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, stopping the trail of kisses he’d been pressing down her stomach to look up at her briefly.

“I _need_ you,” She said, with an urgency she didn’t even know she had and in mere seconds, their last articles of clothing became forgotten memories as well. His eyes scanned over her, making her feel vulnerable. She moved to cover herself haphazardly with her hands but he stopped her, raking his fingers over creamy, soft skin, urging her to reveal herself to him.

“Let me see you,” His voice was so gentle it made goosebumps form on her skin but she did as she was asked and dropped her hands back to her sides, exposing herself completely. With great care and delicacy, his mouth explored the regions of her he’d never been privy to, smiling softly to himself when his discoveries yielded a soft moan or whimper. After letting his hands and lips enjoy their own adventures, he returned to hover over her, looking down into her eyes. “You are everything to me,” He whispered intensely. 

“Show me.” She begged softly, reaching her hand to the back of his neck, kissing him deeply, and arching up against him wantonly.

Faltering only to stop for the obtainment of protection, he was just as soon back over her, eyes studying hers carefully for any sign of hesitation before kissing her deeply, thrusting into her to create an ardent connection. His movements were slow and purposeful, easing in to her gently, biting down on his lip as her soft moans undid him.

Though he was certainly more experienced than she, he was hardly an expert. Yet, he seemed to know much more about what he was doing than her first partner had and her body tingled with each thrust and kiss. “Does this feel alright?” His voice was husky and broken as he spoke against her skin. Alright? It was beyond alright. It was amazing. Mind numbing. It was robbing her of her ability to formulate complete thoughts, if she was being honest.

Given that fact she went with a simple, “God, yes.” muttering against his lips, which she’d just found again, hiking her leg higher on his waist, finding an irrepressible need to be closer to him. They soon fell into a rhythm of roaming hands and lips, bodies rocking and writhing together with great passion, as if they’d done this a million times before. He was quite certain that, in any case, he’d need to do it a million more times in the future.

Everything made sense with her. There was no guessing which way to move or where to put what so that it felt good. There was no awkwardness; just passionate, magnetic connection. He was quite positive they were made for each other, the way they fit together like this. Her legs quaked with building pleasure, as her eyes found his, the intensity there almost jarring. Then, came the faintest of whispers from his lips before they were hovering over hers again, “I’ve _always_ loved you, beautiful.”

“Arch I—“ His lips found hers as her body trembled against his, finding a release she had never known. Toes curled, fingers gripping the sheets, she felt the apex of pleasure coursing through her.

He wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway but as she came down from her own orgasmic release she’d _moaned_ the words, “I love you so much,” And it had been the final straw in his own gratifying ruination. He found passionate respite before collapsing against her, rolling onto his side, and pulling her against him again.

It was everything she’d imagined and more. He’d been so careful yet so forceful, so tender yet so passionate. She had never felt like that in her life and it wasn’t simply the physical climax she was referring to. She’d felt whole. She’d felt seen. She’d felt loved.

As had he. Sure, he was far more sexually experienced than she was and more so than most people their age. There were points in his relationships with all his past sexual partners that he’d _thought_ he’d made love to them but none of those experiences had been even a fraction of the incredibly intense and impassioned one he’d just shared with his best friend. With, he was finally willing to admit to himself, the love of his life. For so long, he’d ached to feel this sort of satisfaction and belonging; yet he’d been the one to keep it from both of them. His own feelings of self doubt had kept them apart for too long, he’d stand in their way no more.

He realized that his fingers had taken to tracing patterns against her skin, much like the way he strummed his guitar. He pulled back slightly so he could look at her and, feeling his gaze on her, her eyes fluttered open. “How do you feel?” He asked softly, staring lovingly down at her.

“Incredible,” She admitted honestly, “Complete.” She jutted her chin up so her lips were more readily available and he gratified her with a kiss. Painfully slow and full of passion, it threatened to ignite round two. She wanted to add ‘in love’ to her short list of how she currently felt but she was afraid he’d think it was just the high of her orgasm making her speak that way.

“Me too,” He grinned, breaking the kiss and then he pulled away to look seriously at her. “I’ve never made love like that.” And he didn’t need to tack on some promise of that being the truth because one look in his eyes and there was no doubt left for her.

“I wish you could stay with me tonight.” Sadness coated her words and she cuddled a little closer to him.

“I could.” He mused back, truth be told, he’d already been formulating a plan for how to make that happen.

“I like you too much to let my mother murder you, Arch.” A tasteless joke that hit a little too close to home after the events that had happened earlier that week. “You do remember the Alice Cooper that lives here, right?” She teased gently, pressing a kiss to his bare chest.

He laughed gently, “Yes, I’m aware of that slight obstacle, but I was already coming up with a plan for that.” He clarified, tucking some of her hair back behind her ear. “Disappointingly, we’d need to put on more clothes. But, we put some school stuff on the bed, make it look like I was keeping you company waiting for her to get home, and we fell asleep studying.” He let his hand trail down towards her breasts again, mostly because he _could_ and flashed her a devious smile. “I’ll text my dad and let him know I’m staying on your couch since your mom is out.” He grinned, rather satisfied with his carefully thought out scheme.

He really had thought of an entirely plausible and acceptable way for this to happen, though she still had some reservations, she decided to throw caution to the wind; she wasn’t ready for this moment to end. “I like everything except the part where you put your clothes back on,” She pouted playfully.

“Trust me, I hate that part more than you.” He said, leaning back to take in her naked body appreciatively before it was covered up again.

“Arch, stop, you’re embarrassing me!” Her faced turned a deep crimson, she’d never been looked at like that and such lust wasn’t something she was used to seeing; in his eyes especially.

“Sorry, sorry. You’re just so gorgeous like this, all uninhibited. I had to memorize how you looked.” His lips traveled to each of her breasts, pressing soft longing kisses there. “Okay, I’m done now, I promise.” He kissed her gently and moved to rise from the bed and collect his clothes.

“Wait,” She said, stopping him once he was standing there, stark naked, in front of her. “My turn to memorize.” She let her eyes wander over his nude form in languorous appreciation. She rose from the bed to join him, standing in front of him in the same state of undress, kissing him slowly.

Somehow, he managed to make re-clothing each other romantic. So romantic they’d almost immediately lost their clothes again, but thinking better of it, they’d maintained some self-control. In order to help sustain that restraint, she’d decided to create some space between them. She disappeared down the hall to dispose of any incriminating evidence of their less than innocent foray and returned carrying an extra blanket to find that Archie had set to work staging her notebook and textbook on the end of the bed. He lay there, waiting for her to join him. “I texted my dad and he’s all good so, we’re in the clear.” He gave her a gentle smile, pleased with his accomplishments in her brief absence.

She could’ve left well enough alone. Let them enjoy that incredible experience for what it was and not risk complicating things by trying to have some big talk. But, it was just her way to talk things out and she couldn’t stop herself if she’d tried. “What does it mean?” She asked, sitting down on the bed. “I mean, it doesn’t have to mean anything but—“ He gave her a dumbfounded look that stopped her sentence short.

“Of course that meant something. It meant everything.” He patted the empty spot next to him for her to sit down and join him on the bed. She indulged him, leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m not sure what it means, but here is what I do know. I couldn’t be with anyone else even if I wanted to now. I’ve always loved you, but obviously I’m also in love with you. I’m yours. Quite frankly, that’s the only thing I need to know.”

_I’m yours_. It was such a simple statement, really. Only two words in length, yet so loaded with implication and weight. She was his, always had been, since long before their intimate night together. She didn’t want to deal with the judgments and opinions of others, not yet. This was their own little slice of heaven carved out amongst all the craziness and chaos of the last year and she wasn’t about to let anyone ruin it. “I’ve always been yours, Arch.” 

“I’ll never take that for granted again.” He pledged, sealing his promise with a kiss. It deepened almost instantly and soon his hands were roaming up under her shirt, begging to touch sensitive skin there again.

“Arch,” She warned, though her attempt to really stop him was feeble at best.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll behave.” He groaned into the hair pooling at her neck. It was hard to let go of his newfound freedom to touch her like this.

“Here, maybe this will help?” She said, turning her back to him and then snuggling back against his chest. He placed his hand on the supple curve of her hip, kissing her neck softly.

“This position does nothing to make you less desirable.” He noted, brushing his thumb over the skin exposed by the slight rise of her shirt. His words elicited a soft giggle from her and she nestled against him just that much more.

Truthfully, he was exhausted. They both were. And not from the physically exerting activity they’d just engaged in. Mentally, physically, and emotionally; they’d both been running on E for a long time. It wasn’t long before her breath had evened out and knowing she’d found peaceful sleep, he’d finally allowed himself the same.

That was how Alice had found them two hours later when she’d returned home with Chic. Her gut reaction was to raise absolute hell over a boy being in her daughter’s room but the door had been open and the math materials on the bed made it look innocent enough. As she’d walked further into the room, she couldn’t help but smile as she observed their sleeping forms. She’d found them in similar positions on this bed many times before; usually the result of tiring each other out playing outside all summer, or after one of their famous movie nights when Betty would pick obscure subtitled foreign films that went over both of their heads, but she’d always pretended to understand. It was what inspired the older woman to leave them there, undisturbed, rather than waking them up to read them the riot act. Betty had been through a lot lately and for the first time in awhile, she looked at peace. Even Alice wasn’t enough of a monster to steal that from her.

Dawn came far to soon for either of their likings, but it followed the first night of restful sleep each of them had had in awhile, so they couldn’t complain too much. It was Archie who had woken first and it took him a moment to process that he wasn’t in his room and that he had Betty wrapped in his arms before he fully remembered or comprehended all of the events of last night. He felt instantly flooded with a satisfied happiness, absolutely sure he was exactly where he was supposed to be right now. He was almost afraid to wake her up in fear that she wouldn’t reciprocate his lack of remorse and that all his joy would be ruined. Yet, being that he had a pretty good inkling that wouldn’t be the case, he’d taken the chance. He pressed his lips lightly to her neck, “Wake up, beautiful.” He whispered softly against her skin. 

Her eyes fluttered open slowly and seeing his face hovering over her own she had to rub her eyes and blink a few times before she was convinced she was even really awake. She’d had too many dreams that started exactly like this to trust it was real. “Arch?” Her brows knit together quizzically and as his lips came down to meet hers, she found that this was all _very_ real. The kiss was brief, but meaningful.

“Good morning.” He murmured sleepily, “This is in fact real life. I checked before I woke you up.” His voice was teasing, but not at her expense and she quite enjoyed that he seemed to read her mind with that statement. 

“Good morning, lover.” Whilst her voice remained quiet as the door was still open, her smirk grew and she moved to kiss him again, this time more deeply. Again, things could very quickly evolved from there, but it was him this time who showed restraint.

“I want to, so bad.” He groaned, into her mouth. “But I definitely heard your mom come home sometime in the night and I have no shame in admitting my fear of her is incredibly real.” They shared a smile over his whispered words. Then, his grin faltered. “I should go soon and change for school.” With those words came the stark realization that their bubble would officially burst when they made their way to Riverdale High. There would be no soft kisses and holding hands, no whispered confessions of love. Only stolen glances and sneaking around, if they dared be that brave yet. The thought made him sad and sensing the change in his demeanor, a frown tugged at her lips as well.

“What is it?” She asked, her hand coming to tangle in his hair.

“Everything between us is so simple and effortless. Nothing else is like that in my life, you know? I just realized that I’m not allowed to act this with you at school and it kind of pisses me off.” 

“Not allowed? Says who?” She challenged, but then her own false confidence vacillated and she sighed in agreement. “You’re right,” She admitted, dejectedly. “If we were assholes, we wouldn’t really care how it made them feel.” She said, shifting to a sitting position. 

“Too bad we aren’t assholes.” He lamented, kissing her gently. “We will keep this between us for a little while, just out of respect for Veronica and Jug, okay? But how many times have we been accused of wanting each other anyway? They’re expecting it. So, we’ll give it some time and then we ease them into it.” He suggested and she nodded in agreement because it was reasonable enough. He felt compelled to add, “Easier said then done on the keeping my hands to myself portion of this though.”

“You only want me for my body?” She teased, rolling her eyes. It was meant to be an innocent joke because she knew that wasn’t true. Yet, his eyes had darkened nonetheless and he gave a very serious reply.

“Not at all!” Came his stern protest. Her lips captured his in a show of surrender. Of course she knew that wasn’t why he wanted her. She’d never even given that thought actual credence; it was so far from true. He knew this, of course, yet he still added; “I want all of you.”

Her alarm sounding brought an official end to their moment, startling them both. He rose from the bed first and she followed quickly after shutting off the offending noisemaker. “I should get going,” He sighed, pulling her in for a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Even though seeing him go was the last thing she wanted, she nodded at him, agreeing. “Walk me to school?” She asked, letting go of him and heading to her own closet to pick out what to wear for the day. 

Just as she had in reply when he’d asked if she’d go to Pops the night before, he replied; “Always.” Then, before leaving her room, he came up behind her, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I love you,” He reminded her quietly, his lips right next to her ear. It made her knees weak and just as she’d turned to reply, he was walking away. 

“Arch!” She called, her voice rising in desperation, as if he might not know it if she didn’t tell him right now. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. “I love you too.” She said softly, crossing the short distance he’d just created between them to press a chaste kiss to his lips before finally letting him leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the kind words of your reviews, I am so touched that you are connecting to my writing in this way. I am sorry for the delay on this chapter, I couldn't get it quite right at first and after lots of reworking I'm still a little worried about what you will all think! Good or bad, please let me know what you think in the reviews. Now without further ado, chapter 3!

Walking to school together could only be described as torturous; he had to fight every urge to slide his hand in to hers. Things would never be the same between them now, a fact that they were both more than okay with. As they approached the student lounge where they always met their friends, he stalled briefly, turning back so she ran into his chest. “I’ll be thinking about you all day,” His words were so soft only she could hear them and it took every ounce of will power they both had not to kiss. “After school, you’re all mine.” He promised and then, he proceeded past her, walking in to the bustling room.

Betty was only a half a step in when Kevin was eyeing her suspiciously from his usual perch on the couch. One eyebrow risen in perplexity, he regarded his friend. “Elizabeth.” He said pointedly, “A word?”

His use of her full name was enough to wipe what she could only assume was a ridiculously obvious smile from her face and she nodded; glad to have an excuse to not be in the room with essentially half the people that currently occupied it. 

Kevin joined her in the doorway and, linking his arm with hers, took off down the hall with his favorite blonde companion. “Something’s happened.” He stated, and since she’d didn’t immediately offer any juicy details, he rather emphatically added; “Spill!”

“What makes you say that, Kev?” She asked coyly, steering them towards her locker. She had some things to switch out before first period anyway.

He gave her an overly offended look and rolled his eyes, “You are basically radiating happiness, so if you’re trying to play coy, you _may_ want to tone it down.”

Betty bit her bottom lip, taking note of his keen observation. It was good advice, the more normal she acted, the less suspicion she’d rouse and the less questions she’d have to answer. “Archie and I hung out last night and we’re just in a really great place right now and we haven’t been in so long. It just feels great to have him back.” She shrugged, setting a few things from her backpack into her locker and removing some others.

“With a smile like the one you were wearing, I have to ask; which parts of him were ‘hanging out’ exactly?” He laughed rather pleased with his own joke, leaning against the locker next to hers so he could gauge her reaction, which he was expecting to be an eye roll at most. Her cheeks tinted pink instantly, betraying her. “Betty!” His eyes went wide. “I was mostly kidding, now you really have to tell me. Everything!”

Saved by the bell. The shrill sound rung through the halls and Betty welcomed the well-timed escape, closing her locker, whirling around to smile at her friend. “Would you look at that, time for class? Guess we’ll have to talk later!” Then, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she took the opportunity to disappear into the mass of people making their way down the halls to their first period classrooms.

She’d taken Kevin’s memo to heart, she didn’t want to give Veronica or Jug (or anyone else for that matter) a reason to suspect anything even remotely suspicious about her behavior or her interactions with Archie. Baring this in mind, she’d done her best to look sullen and focus on her classwork as she’d done the last couple weeks. More than that, she’d done everything she could to avoid even making eye contact with Archie up to this point, as she was sure even one glance from him would’ve melted her into a puddle at any given moment.

By the time the bell finally rang indicating their lunch period, she was already planning to hide out in the journalism room when she felt _him_ behind her at her locker. “Music room, three minutes.” He’d muttered quietly and just as soon as she’d felt him there, he was gone again. Even though she didn’t want it to, sneaking around felt kind of exhilarating.

Depositing her belongings into her locker again, she turned to head down the hall only to be greeted with the somber face of Veronica who looked very needy and like she was about to ruin any chance of Betty making it to that music room in three minutes. “V!” Her voice probably sounded a bit more startled than it should.

“Well there you are. You’ve been like a ghost all day, I’ve barely seen you!” Betty opened her mouth to offer an explanation, albeit a bullshit one, but Veronica kept talking. “I’m sure you’re heard about Archiekins and I.” She sighed in such a hyperbolic way, Betty had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

“I may have heard something in passing.” She tried sounding as normal as possible, keeping her tone even, at least she hoped. Then, with as much sincerity as she could muster she asked; “You doing alright?”

Veronica shrugged but still, seemed rather un-phased, which sort of irked Betty. She should be devastated right now. She should feel terrible for what her parents put him through. What she herself had been complicit in! “He’s just having a moment. He’ll get over it and we’ll be back together by the end of the week.” Well if she was irked before, Betty was borderline _pissed_ now.

She clenched her jaw, swallowing all the things she actually wanted to say in favor of what really came out of her mouth, “Whatever you say, V!” Then, moving past the brunette before the shorter girl could stop her in her tracks, she added; “I have to run, I have some stuff to research for an article. I’ll catch up with you later.” And then, once she’d rounded the corner, she basically took off in a sprint towards the room four doors from the end of the hallway.

She knocked lightly, just in case, but as soon as she’d tilted her wrist forward to knock on the door again, it was open and he was pulling her inside. He ducked his head to kiss her but before he had the chance she spoke, too perturbed for kissing just yet; “Veronica thinks you two will be back together by the end of the week.” She studied his eyes carefully, trying to read his response. Maybe it was less that Veronica said it and more that her doing so confirmed some underlying fears of Betty’s. What if their love for one another existed only that one night in her bedroom? What if Archie had already changed his mind? Her anxiety was threatening to send her in a tailspin.

His facial expression shifted from one of elation at having Betty to himself to confusion. Calmly he responded with, “I’m not sure what would give her that impression, I think I was pretty clear about where she and I stood.” He shrugged and seemed ready to dismiss it, moving to try once more to bestow a kiss to her lips, deeming it a nonissue. 

Betty slid her hand between them, thwarting his efforts again. “If she wants you back, she’s going to fight for you. Hard.” She raised her eyebrows deliberately and waited for the implications to sink in. When they didn’t seem to, she let out a frustrated sigh, and spelled it out for him. “What if she tries to sleep with you?”

All of this was so far off his radar now that he’d been with Betty. It seemed ludicrous that she’d even think there was a chance that could happen. If gentle reassurance was what she needed though, it was what he’d be more than happy to offer her. “Then I tell her I’m not interested. Now can you please let me do something I _am_ actually interested in and kiss you instead of talking about this weird hypothetical situation that isn’t going to happen? Veronica isn’t blind, if she didn’t get the message already, I’ll make sure she reads it loud and clear. Now can we please move on?” His eyes implored her to concede.

Even though she really wanted to press the issue more, the pleading look on his face was enough to convince her otherwise. “Well, I guess I can’t argue with that.” Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kissed him herself. Her lips parted slightly, inviting him to deepen their passion as he saw fit. They remained that way for a little while, wrapped up in one another, kisses varying in intensity until she nipped playfully at his bottom lip, bringing their make out session to a close.. “Sorry, I was feeling a little insecure before.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry.” He looped his arm around her waist and tugged her torso to his. “You don’t think I have my own fears about Jughead getting between us? We’re figuring this out together. But, I can promise you have nothing to be jealous of or worried over in the Veronica department.” He pulled her flush against him now, wrapping both arms fully around her in a hug, “For the record, even if nothing had happened between you and I, I wouldn’t be getting back with her.” That information felt rather pertinent at the moment, so he’d shared it, the words falling softly against the top of her head as he held her there in a comforting embrace.

It did put her slightly more as ease and she tilted her head back so she could kiss him softly again. “We can’t let sneaking around become a habit, Arch. It will make people suspicious. Kevin already thinks he knows something, just from seeing us together for a couple seconds this morning and one poorly worded joke. We have to be careful.” 

“Bets, we successfully dealt with the torment of a serial killer under the noses of our friends and families, I think we can manage keeping up this ‘just friends’ act for a little while.” He defended, and they shared a playful smile over his words, morbid as it were.

“Well when you put it that way…” She laughed gently and leaned against him. “I haven’t seen Jughead yet. He’s the only person I’ve managed to successfully avoid today. I’m not even sure what to say to him, but the fact that we’ve hardly talked since we slept together should speak volumes on its own. I’m sure he can see that too.”

Contemplating her words, he sighed thoughtfully and offered; “Just think about this for a second though, Ronnie seems to have a very different impression of our situation than I do, maybe you should make sure Jug isn’t in the same boat?” His wise words left Betty wondering when _he_ had become the reasonable, rational one between the two of them. 

“You’re right,” She sighed, wishing they could stay in this room for the rest of the day, hidden from everyone. Especially Jughead and the inevitable, uncomfortable conversation they’d have to have to make sure they were on the same page about things. “I should probably not avoid that much longer, huh?”

“Just think, the faster we get these loose ends tied up, the quicker we can stop lying about how we feel.” He let his hands trail over the soft blue fabric of the simple A-line dress she wore. “And, the faster I can do this-“ He paused and kissed her with inordinate passion for several long seconds, “And not worry who sees.” He finished in hushed tones, words spoken directly against her lips. 

 _That_ kiss in particular left her weak in the knees. “These kisses are doing nothing to help me keep up appearances that things are completely normal with me.” She warned, staring over at him, but there wasn’t even the faintest hint of anger laced in her tone or displayed on her face. 

“That dress is doing nothing to help me stop imaging you naked.” He smirked, taking a moment to study her appreciatively. “So it’s like we’re even, or something.” His smile grew and seemed contagious as one formed on her own lips as well as his hands continued to explore her body tenderly. 

“Or something,” She rolled her eyes and, after lingering there just a little while longer and stealing one more kiss, moved away. “Stay here a little longer so it doesn’t seem obvious we came from the same place?” 

Archie nodded reluctantly after letting go of her. “Look who is already an expert of sneaking around,” he winked as if to punctuate this statement. Really it was him who was the expert, but it didn’t seem like the appropriate time to bring up his torrid love affair with Mrs. Grundy. “Walk you home?” He asked, eyes taking her in one last time before she left, savoring this moment alone with her. 

“Always.” She grinned and then, blowing him a kiss from the doorway, she turned the knob and left. 

The rest of the school day went by rather quickly and even though she had a couple classes with Jug and Veronica, she’d managed to keep most of her interactions with them to a minimum. By the time the last period of the day rolled around, her luck ran out. “Betty!” Jughead had to shout after her as he followed her hurrying form out of their civics class before she could escape unscathed. “Let’s ditch last period, I thought we could go back to my place and talk or maybe…” He raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

Betty instantly felt a sick feeling form in the pit of her stomach. In an effort not to overreact, she quickly offered up, “I have a math test last period.” But, she knew she owed it to not only him; but to her and Archie as well, to be more honest than that. “But, we should definitely talk.” She purposely avoided addressing the implications of his raised eyebrows. “Meet me by the Blue and Gold offices after the last bell?” She waited only long enough to watch him give her a curt, if not disappointed, nod. Then, she was disappearing down the hallway again.

Math class meant she would get to see Archie, which was enough to instantly bring a smile to her face. She was pleasantly surprised to walk into their classroom and find he was already there, his backpack saving the seat in front of him for her. When he saw her coming in he reached forward to move it out of her way, happy she’d arrived. “Hey,” She grinned gently, sliding in sideways so she could look at and talk to him while they waited for class to start.

“Hey, Bets.” His smile came just as easily as hers, his eyes casting instantly to her lips, thinking of all the ways he planned to occupy them later. He leaned forward, “I _really_ like that dress,” He noted, taking stock of just how perfectly it seemed to hug her curves. She was so timelessly beautiful, but something about the retro look really suited her, it added an extra swivel to her hips. But then maybe these were just attributes _he_ hadn’t noticed before because he’d never have allowed himself to see them.

She leaned back slightly to meet him and dropped her voice to a barely audible level, “I’ll like it more when you’re unzipping it.” The way his jaw had dropped ever so slightly made her smile grow into one of satisfaction. 

Closing his mouth which had been previously agape from her unexpected statement, he licked his lips slightly. “Trust me, I will too.” He grinned and then test papers began to come down their row and their conversation was brought to a halt as Betty turned around. 

The forty-five minute class period seemed to crawl by. Archie, who probably could’ve benefited from some actual studying last night, seemed to use every minute of it trying to get himself to focus on the actual test and not thoughts of his best friend naked. Betty, on the other hand, had finished in the first fifteen minutes and spent the rest of the time mentally preparing herself for her conversation with Jughead.

The final bell of the day sounded, alerting them of their freedom. Trailing slightly behind her as they dropped their tests off on the teacher’s desk and headed to the hallway, he caught up with her heading to her locker. “Let’s get out of here!” He took the chance and slung his arm around her shoulder, the gesture was friendly enough.

She instantly regretted her decision to schedule her conversation with Jug for right now, as there were so many more fun things she could be doing with Archie instead. Regretfully, she turned to him with a sigh. “I told Jug to meet me at the newspaper offices so we could talk. You were right he was definitely on a different page than me on this, so, this should be fun…” But the way that made Archie smile made her feel better about her decision. 

His eyes seemed to light up a little as he spoke; “That’s great. I’m proud of you. Mind if I wait around so I can walk you home?” He asked, shifting his backpack to the other shoulder as he looked her over.

“I’d like that.” Her lips twitched up into a brief smile before the weight of what was about to go down seemed to sink back in. “I doubt it will take very long. Once I break the news he’ll probably shut down, withdraw into himself, and be content to ignore me for awhile.” She shrugged as if trying to convince herself that everything would be okay. In fact, that sort of sounded like an ideal scenario given his propensity for getting a bit mean and personal with his attacks when he was on the defensive.

Fighting hard against the urge to kiss her, he had to settle on giving her arm a gentle squeeze as a method of offering her some reassurance. “You’ll feel better when it’s done. And if it goes bad, I can think of a few ways to cheer you up.” He gave her one last, knowing smile. They weren’t far from her designated meeting place, so he stopped strolling along with her and posted up against a row of lockers. “I’ll wait here.” He noted. It was close enough that he could see her if she was trying to leave or hear if things got loud, but far enough to give them privacy and not have his male best friend know he was lingering there on purpose.

She gave Archie a brisk nod and then his hand slid down to hers, daring to squeeze ever so gently before they both let go and she walked the rest of the distance to the blue and gold offices

Jughead was already there, leaning against the inside of the doorway, undoubtedly waiting for her. “Sorry, I was putting some stuff in my locker.” She began, wondering why she was so nervous again after Archie had just built up her confidence so much.

“No big. I can walk you home if you want? No reason to stick around here.” He shifted his position, extending his hand to her, as if to hold it.

It seemed as though Archie was right, Jug did have a bit different of a view of their situation than she did. Yet, it still alluded her how that was possible. As smart as he was, he lacked the social intelligence to pick up on her very obvious nonverbal cues. Helping him see this from her eyes might be harder than she thought. “Uh-“ She swallowed hard, everything she’d rehearsed saying to him while she waited for math class to end seemed to vanish from her mind. “I’d rather talk here,” She went with lamely and then added, “I feel like…” She struggled to find a way to articulate it at first. Her eyes fluttered close briefly and a mental image of her red-haired soulmate popped into her mind. Then, more confidently, she continued; “I feel like the other night may have given you a wrong impression of my feelings. I know it probably seems confusing but I wasn’t in a great place and I wasn’t really thinking straight, I shouldn’t have been making any huge emotional decisions and I did any way. That isn’t fair to either of us. You’re important to me and I value our friendship but I think, moving forward, it should stay _just_ a friendship.” She emphasized the word ‘just’ and finally found the courage to move her eyes up to look at his.

His brow was furrowed in confusion and he adapted his signature standoffish demeanor immediately. “Message received _, friend_.” He said rather coldly and then shifted as if he meant to leave.

She supposed she’d expected a little more from him than that. She probably should’ve left well enough alone, but her proclivity to fix things caused her to add, “I never meant to hurt you or-“

He didn’t let her finish, but he did stop in his tracks. “You didn’t hurt me, Betty. It was just meaningless sex, for both of us.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but his body language spoke a completely different message.

His words hurt more than they should given she knew they were said mostly out of spite and probably held very little truth. She dug her fingernails into the palms of both of her hands and took a shallow breath to collect herself. As steadily as she could, she spoke; “I never said it was meaningless. But you can’t say that’s how you imagined it going when we lost our virginity to one another, can you?” 

“I can’t say I gave it much thought.” His eyes avoided hers and he seemed content to be as hurtful as possible.

“Can you stop being cold and have a real conversation about this?” She asked with pleading eyes. 

His toughness faltered momentarily and it seemed as if he might ease up but instead he seemed to clench his jaw before going with; “Fine. What do you want me to say here Betty?”

Her voice was gentle and even as she responded. “I just want to understand your point of view is all. Did it feel special to you?”

His exasperation was growing into annoyance, “My point of view on us sleeping together? On if it was special?” When she nodded, he laughed sardonically. “My point of view was that we had sex, finally. And for me, it was great, because it was sex, with a human woman.” He must’ve really heard how harsh that came off because he added, “A _beautiful_ woman.” As if that some how made it better. Knowing it didn’t and that he was being a dick to her mostly for no reason, he seemed to withdraw further into himself just as she’d expected. “I’m sorry it wasn’t on a bed of rose petals or in some fancy hotel room after you were crowned prom queen or whatever crazy fantasy world you created in your mind where this was all going to take place.”

“That’s not it and you know it!” Her eyes had been brimming with tears since that awful sarcastic laugh of his, but she absolutely refused to let them fall. She dug her nails into her palms even harder. “I just wanted to feel like we were making love, like we were important and special to each other.” She took a breath to gather herself but continued before he could interject. “It’s my fault because I knew that I was not in the right frame of mind to-“ He interrupted her anyway. 

“Let’s cut the crap, Betty. I think we both know that you being dissatisfied had a lot less to do with it ‘not being special’ and a lot more to do with the fact that it wasn’t with _him_.” He didn’t have to say Archie’s name for it to be obviously implied. His words hit her like a slap in the face. “So when you say this didn’t go how you pictured losing our virginity to each other it is because in reality; you never actually pictured yourself losing it to me.” 

That was what made her snap. It wasn’t even the accusation itself that set her off, because she wouldn’t begin to patronize him by pretending that wasn’t at least mostly true. It never would’ve felt right with him because he wasn’t Archie; that was a stone cold fact. But how could Jughead sit here and pretend that was all it was? “Fuck. You.” She spat back in reply. Then, digging her nails in impossibly farther, she shook slightly as she stepped closer to him, eyes narrowing as sadness turned to anger. “You’re really going to have the audacity to trivialize my feelings that way? This has NOTHING to do with Archie.” Her voice seemed to boom in particularly loud on the word ‘nothing.’ She didn’t care anymore how it might make him feel to hear her say the next words that came out of her mouth, “It has everything to do with the fact that neither of us were ready for what happened. We weren’t back together or even getting back together. We made a huge mistake because we were in the moment. And I regret everything about it.” She let her words sink in and then, “If you really knew me as well as I thought you did, you would already know that this isn’t about Archie. Honestly, I wish that was the most disappointing part of all this, but it isn’t.” He clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles were white and her nails were boring crescent shaped wounds, but the pain was her only reprieve. “The worst part about this is you didn’t love me anymore and you slept with me anyway.” He opened his mouth as though to protest that he _did_ still love her, but she didn’t allow him the courtesy. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have made this about Archie. Or the lack of rose petals and fancy hotel. If you still loved me, your first response wouldn’t have been to get angry with me for not wanting to be with you and say hurtful things to me because I was being honest. You loved,” She borrowed Archie’s words from the other night because they seemed rather apropos, “the idea of me, the version of me that you built up in your mind. Well that isn’t who I really am any way, so maybe I’m sparing us both.” 

For a moment he just kind of stood there, reeling from her bombs of truth, each of which had pierced through his tough guy façade like bullets. He’d opened his mouth to respond but she decided then that she wasn’t really interested. Or maybe it was that she wasn’t really sure she could even _handle_ it right now. She shook her head and started to back away from him. “I don’t know who you are anymore, Jug. But, if this is it? Maybe I’m glad I don’t.” Then, she turned to leave, and once she saw Archie there at the end of the hall, she broke out into a sprint. She didn’t care if Jughead was calling after her or even if he would’ve dared to follow, she didn’t want to hear what he had to say in response to any of that. She didn’t care if he saw her seek comfort in their mutual best friend, which may have served, at least in Jughead’s mind, as proof that he was right about everything he’d said. 

As soon as Archie had noticed her quickened pace, he’d moved towards her, closing the distance between them just as she did. His strides were bigger than hers, so he reached her sooner than halfway. She didn’t give a flying fuck who saw or what they thought, she threw herself into his waiting arms and finally let the tears fall. There was no hesitation on his end either; he wrapped his arms tightly around her in a bear hug, pulling her closer. He knew better than to ask her what happened, she’d talk when she was ready. 

Stroking her back gently he held her there for a little while, waiting for her body to stop shaking with sobs and her breath to even out before whispering, “Lets go home.”

She wasn’t quite sure why she was crying in the first place. Was it the pain of the harsh truths she’d realized sinking in? Was it anger? Sadness? Relief? Some combination of all the above, it seemed. 

The first half of their walk was filled with silence, though he’d kept his arm tightly around her shoulders and she had stopped crying completely at least a quarter of the way in. “He pretty much acted like a jerk,” She sniffled slightly and wiped underneath her eyes. “He was just lashing out because he was hurt and upset but-“ 

“No, you don’t make excuses for him being an asshole to you. He knows better than that. He _is_ better than that.” Archie interjected, eyes darkening slightly as he imagined what Jughead had done to get her so worked up. 

“He tried to act like I was only upset because I lost it to him and not you,” She rolled her eyes, but they remained more sad than angry now. “It pisses me off that he’d try and belittle my feelings that way. I mean, while I can’t necessarily deny that his accusation holds some truth,” She took a collecting breath, “I realized why I was so upset as we were talking. As he was lashing out at me, I suppose.” She sighed and wrapped her arm around Archie’s waist so she could feel closer to him as they strode together, nearing his house. “He doesn’t love me any more, Arch. And he knew that when he slept with me.” 

Archie was practically reeling from her words. “Wait, he said that to you?” He had half a mind to turn around, head back to school, and give Jug a piece of his own mind and not necessarily in a verbal way.

“No, no!” She assured softly, not wanting Archie to get any false impressions. “He wasn’t that cruel. But it was just very apparent in the way he spoke and acted.” She shrugged, “As crazy as it sounds that sort of makes everything easier to accept.” And honestly, it did. It was as if the misplaced sense of obligation she’d felt to her ex-boyfriend was finally lifted. 

As they neared their neighboring homes, they observed that Fred Andrews truck was missing from it’s normal spot. Trying not to have a one track mind, especially after Betty had just had such a big emotional moment with Jughead he started to explain, “Hey Bets, I just want you to know that last night-“ She froze, for some reason her mind decided that the only possible way he was going to complete that sentence was with, ‘was a one time thing.’ He must’ve sensed her tension immediately because he quickly finished with, “Trust me it’s what I want to do with every second of my free time, but I don’t want you to think that I expect that all the time now. Whatever you’re comfortable with is fine with me.” 

For someone who’d grown so well spoken and mature in the past few months, he wasn’t at his most articulate. It was kind of funny how nervous this seemed to make him, considering Betty was the person on this planet he was always most comfortable with. 

His, what she could only describe as _nervousness,_ was absolutely endearing to her. Very sincerely, her eyes founds his reassuringly, “Oh, Arch, I know that.” But then, more deviously, she added. “But I thought we already agreed we’d like this dress so much better when it’s on your floor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should put a little PSA that I have nothing against the characters of Veronica or Jughead, so I apologize for the negative ways in which this story may portray them. Being that this is a Barchie fic, this is probably one of the only chapters that will not focus solely on them. That being said I know that our lovely ship was not exactly the focus of this chapter but I promise to make it up in chapter 4! Listening to the song 'Dress' by Taylor Swift was definitely the inspiration for the next one, if that gives you any hints as to what to expect!


	4. Chapter 4

They fell into a comfortable pattern easily enough. Walk to school together, stolen moments and glances when manageable, then time spent with one another when they could swing it after school.

After her emotional conversation with Jughead, he’d witnessed the effects of her self-harm for the first time. It had broken his heart to see her hands in such a state. Betty had always done such an amazing job keeping her outward composure that everyone, including him, had missed all the signs of her internal struggle. Vowing to do better next time, to be there when she needed him, to not let her pain come to this; he’d kissed the cuts she’d left on her hands, offering her that comfort each morning when they met at the end of her driveway. 

Since that first night together, she’d fallen asleep with him on the phone every single night. Sometimes he’d play guitar and if she’d closed her eyes long enough, she’d grace him with the sweet sound of her own melodic voice singing along to what he was playing, ever so softly. As amazing as this new physical side of their relationship was, their emotional connection was what kept them coming back for more. 

Archie had made it a point to have a rather clarifying talk with Veronica and she seemed to accept that they weren’t going to get back together. She made some big stand about being an independent woman who wanted to keep her options open and not tie herself to anyone just yet. He was fine to let her spin the story of their relationship’s demise to favor whatever angles she liked, so long as she got the message loud and clear. It wasn’t just that he wasn’t getting back with her any time soon, he wasn’t getting back with her _ever_.

Within a couple days of their heated exchange, Jughead had reached out to Betty to apologize and things between them were certainly strained, but the air was clear for the most part. She was a little bitter about the way he seemed to always be all over Toni now, but she supposed she shouldn’t care too much. It bothered her less that he was all over someone and more that she herself had to be so restrained around Archie.

Now that it was Friday night, they were looking forward to a weekend spent together, making up for lost time. As she stood waiting for him in their usual place, she saw Veronica and Kevin walking towards her. It was too late to leave and there was no way to pretend she didn’t notice them, so she forced a smile as they made their approach. “What are you doing tonight?” Veronica asked once they were within earshot of one another. Before Betty could answer, she spoke again. “Trick question, Toni is having a soiree of sorts and you and I are going as Kevin’s wing-women. He and Fangs have been playing this cat and mouse game for far too long!” The brunette spoke decisively with Kevin nodding along next to her. “Tonight, our boy is getting laid. And, if we play our cards right, so is mama.” She pointed to herself with two thumbs.

“Oh, I don’t know you guys, I haven’t been feeling so great-“

“Look, everyone knows about your royal blow out with Juggie. And I know Toni isn’t exactly one of your favorite people, but Kevin is!” Veronica didn’t seem in the mood to take no for an answer. Though her tone remained light her eyes seemed to dare Betty to refuse. 

Kevin joining in didn’t make it any easier; “Come on, Betty! The three of us are single, let’s go out and have fun!” 

“Plus, and I mean this with love, you have been a real dark cloud lately. We need to cheer you up!” Veronica piped up with syrupy sweetness, patting Betty’s shoulder gently, if not with a hint of patronization. 

“I’m fine you guys,” Betty started to protest but she could tell from the looks on their faces that no wasn’t an answer they were planning to accept. Well, she wasn’t planning to say yes either so it seemed they were going to engage in a battle of who could be the most stubborn. “I’ll totally go next time but-“

She hadn’t seen Archie as he’d come out of the main building to head towards them, but as soon as she’d made eye contact with him, she lost her train of thought. He looked so impossibly handsome, even when he wasn’t trying. “What are you going to do next time?” He asked, flashing them all his signature killer smile, even Kevin seemed to swoon.

Ever the evolved woman, Veronica barely even tensed at the sudden presence of her freshly ex boyfriend. “Toni Topaz is throwing a, shall we say ‘meeting of the minds’ and we are trying to convince Betty here that she should come and she’s making lame excuses about being sick.” Her voice had a slight pouty wine to it, “Tell her she should go, Archibald!”

He wasn’t sure what he enjoyed less, Veronica’s use of his full name or her former obnoxious nickname. Either way, he didn’t give it too much thought, he’d already been asked by Jughead and since he wasn’t great at coming up with excuses on the spot, he’d maybe already agreed to go. “Come on Bets, it’ll be fun.”

She was surprised at his words but tried not to let her face show it. “I’ll give you a ride?” He asked innocently. Then, it sort of clicked for her. He wanted to _take_ her to the party. And then, more importantly, _take her home_ after.

She tried to keep her excitement somewhat reserved, but before she could respond, Kevin did. “V and I have that covered. Let’s face it, Archie, Betty Cooper doesn’t quite own a lot of outfits suitable for a serpent celebration.”

Betty looked between Archie and her would be glam squad, finding bemusement playing in his eyes, she let out a sigh of concession. “Fine, but only if Archie agrees he will drive me home whenever I’m ready to tap out. Watching Jughead and Toni maul each other isn’t exactly my idea of a fun night.” Her eyes shifted to focus on his and they told a story beyond that of the one Veronica and Kevin would receive from her actual spoken words. 

“Deal.” Archie said, his eyes not leaving hers for a long moment. 

Veronica squealed in delight, “Alright! Yay!” Clapping her hands together she moved to link her arm through Betty’s and then Kevin moved to the blonde’s other side to do the same. “We will see you later, Archibald.” She grinned and then before Betty could back out or make some excuse to leave, they were carting her away. She cast one last, helpless look over her shoulder to Archie who still had a rather amused smile playing on her lips. 

On the way to the mall, Betty fabricated a story to Alice about her and Kevin having a ‘girls night’ at Veronica’s. Alice, who had become increasingly occupied by spending time with FP and her long lost son, had been surprisingly quick to grant her permission. Her daughter had sort of been counting on her holding out consent being the thing that kept her home. It seemed that, no matter what she wanted, she was going to this party.

By the time they walked into the vast, high-end department store, Betty was already feeling out of her league. After watching Veronica squeeze into an impossibly tight tube dress, she was feeling even more uncomfortable. Betty wasn’t sure she could even pull off something that sexy. While Kev and Veronica obsessed over the latter’s appearance in the dressing room’s three-way mirror, their third compatriot busied herself in the sale rack. Everything she picked out was almost automatically deemed too conservative or boring by her team of critics. It took an hour before she’d spoken the words they’d desperately wanted to hear from her, “Fine, you two pick something out!” 

It was that granting of permission that had found her in a dress she was pretty convinced was actually a shirt, made of a gauzy floral fabric that ended well above her knees. It was just the vintage style of the sixties, Veronica had tried to convince her. “It’s like, sexy Cindy Brady! That’s totally a thing right now.” She’d sworn. 

The way she wore it with her killer legs, Kevin insisted, was what made it the look. Plus it had actually been on one of the clearance racks, so she’d given in to their suggestion, and bought it. After far too long spent shopping for Betty’s liking, they’d gone to Veronica’s to get ready. 

She’d let her hair fall loose instead of tying it back in her signature ponytail. Veronica had insisted she wear a glittery wrap headband that made her feel even more like she’d walked straight out of Woodstock. V insisted that she could easily pass for high fashion at Coachella. She looked, as Kevin had dubbed, like ‘a counter culture goddess.’ She felt sort of like she was playing dress up, but she had to admit, it suited her. Kevin wasn’t wrong about the way her legs made it look. But when she’d complained that it showed a little too much skin, Veronica had disappeared into her massive closet and returned with what she’d deemed the perfect solution. 

It was Kevin who had done her make up and even she couldn’t deny it, she looked amazing. Despite the amount of time he’d spent perfecting her look, she looked natural and effortlessly beautiful. “Okay, if we don’t find you a rebound guy tonight, I am totally taking you home myself!” Veronica had told her, as if emphasize just how smoking hot she truly looked.

 _Rebound guy_ , the concept alone brought a smirk to Betty’s lips. She was in no need to find some random guy to hook up with tonight. She was more than covered in that department already. As if Archie were anything even remotely resembling a rebound, she tried to fight the bemusement that played on her face, lest it prompt her glam squad from imploring further.

Happy that they’d focused their initial efforts on getting her ready, Kevin and Veronica were both distracted getting themselves together for the party now. She took the opportunity to text Archie and see what he was up to and exchanging messages back and forth, though brief ones at that, made her sort of excited for what the night might bring.

It seemed like forever before they were all completely ready to go. Kevin had directed an instagram selfie shoot of unnecessary proportions before conceding that they could leave. Veronica, insistent on being fashionably late, had been more than happy to indulge his antics. Betty, however, was slightly annoyed. Archie had already texted her twice to ask if she was there and she was dying to be able to at least tell him she was on her way.

Finally, the trio was piling into the car Veronica had called for them and Betty’s heart was practically beating out of her chest in anticipation of seeing her – well she wasn’t sure what exactly to call him now. It felt like he was her boyfriend, but they’d never actually discussed titles. She tried to shake the thought from her mind and convince herself such things weren’t important anyway.

Kevin and Veronica were well on their way to buzzed by the time they arrived at the address Toni had given them. They’d tried to get Betty in on their pregame bottle of white wine, but she’d turned them down, feeding them some line about not wanting to mix wine and liquor. So they’d passed it back and forth in the back seat and Betty wondered why all her friends had such a proclivity for being inebriated. She usually enjoyed keeping her wits about her, personally. Yet, something about the way it made each of them simultaneously loosened up and ultra confident had her at least more intrigued than usual.

She was almost ready to take a swig when the car slowed to a halt at their apparent destination. It turned out to be an old abandoned industrial type warehouse _somewhere_ on the rural outskirts of the south side. From what Betty could tell, this wasn’t the first party to be held here. As they got out of the black sedan that had taken them there, she observed graffiti and random smatterings of garbage that indicated what the place was mostly used for. As she surveyed their surroundings, she wondered what exactly they’d gotten themselves in to.

Despite the ragged appearance of the venue displaying it was well used, it sounded quite deserted. In fact, if it weren’t for the haphazardly parked cars littering the pothole-ridden lot, it would seem like no one was there at all. That was, until the rusted metal doors swung open and the deafeningly loud music from inside came pouring out. Then, as the door slammed back shut, silence befell them again.

Maybe the excitement of their other two was contagious, but Betty could feel a giddiness of her own creeping in, in spite of all her current reservations. As they walked towards the aforementioned doors, she could feel her heart rate quicken. She could probably credit that with the anticipation of seeing Archie in the near future though.

“No one gets in without doing a shot,” Sweet Pea barked at them as they walked in, pointing to a tray to his left that balanced precariously on a nearby stool. He seemed to be playing the role of bouncer of sorts. Kevin and Veronica were more than happy to oblige and downed theirs quickly.

Betty, however, was more hesitant. She brought the murky pink liquid up to her nose and sniffed. “What’s in this?” She asked, instantly suspicious.

“Fun! That’s what!” Veronica answered and then she and Kevin were both giving her pleading looks, urging her to get it over with so they could actually make their way in side. “Come on B, don’t be a stick in the mud!” Her friends words were more accusatory than her sickeningly sweet smile let on. Looking to Kevin for support, she found nothing but the same judgmental encouragement as she’d seen in Veronica’s. The peer pressure seemed to get to her instantly because, against her better judgment, she brought the disposable shot glass to her lips and downed its contents quickly. It burned her throat, on the way down, a warm feeling following behind that seemed to extend to her finger tips.

“Atta girl,” Sweet Pea had commented, watching her wipe her lips with the back of her hand before crossing the threshold with her friends. There were a lot more people here than she was expecting, not that she really knew what to expect, but she was concerned with the presence of only one.

As Kevin dragged them to the drink table, she scanned the room for signature red locks, but her perusal came up empty. Before she could object, Kevin was handing her a black solo cup full of a green-blue liquid the serpent girl serving had referred to as ‘snake venom.’ It tasted sweet yet sour and absolutely nothing like alcohol, which could prove to be very dangerous.

So much for needing wing-women, Kevin had abandoned them for Fangs within ten minutes of their arrival. Josie had met up with them getting drinks and had convinced Veronica and Betty to join her on the dance floor. She had to admit she was actually having a good time, even if she still hadn’t found Archie.

He had found her, however. He watched her dance in quiet fascination; entranced by the way her already short dress seemed to rise just that much more when her hands came above her head as she moved rhythmically to the music.

The contents of that plastic cup had made her loosen up significantly it seemed, to the point she was more than just kind of enjoying herself. She could feel him staring at her, then. Well, she assumed it was _him_ , her eyes had been closed as she swayed suggestively to the song that blared around them. They blinked open slowly and took a little while to find his from across the dark, crowded room. When they finally made eye contact, she smiled brightly at him. In turn, he licked his lip in silent appreciation of how beautiful she looked. He nodded toward the drink table, as if suggesting they meet there. She gave him a confirming nod and, tilting her cup to her lips, downed its contents completely in order to give herself a valid excuse for departure. She shook her empty cup at Veronica, who seemed to understand, and then left her there to continue dancing with Josie.

Betty wasn’t necessarily used to drinking, especially not whatever concoction of clear liquors had been dumped into the massive drink cooler that contained the punch she was drinking. As she filled her cup, she felt Archie come up behind her, “You look amazing,” The tone of his voice was husky with lust. “Are you having fun?” He asked, looking down at his own cup of lukewarm beer. It was the same one he’d been nursing since he arrived over an hour ago, content to not drink so he could drive them home when she was ready. Which if he was being completely honest, he was hoping would be right now, if not in the extraordinarily near future.

“Having more fun now,” Her cheeks seemed flush thanks to the alcohol, her grin sloppier than usual. “I want to kiss you, so bad.” She whispered, bringing her cup to her lips, looking at him over the brim.

“The feeling is mutual, gorgeous.” He said with a sigh, fighting the urge to touch her at all, knowing that their chemistry would be far too obvious to anyone who saw them together. He was not in the mood to be part of some big scene if the wrong person did see. Hell, Cheryl had already blackmailed them over that one tiny kiss that seemed to have happened forever ago now. They shouldn’t take any chances.

As if on cue, a definitely tipsy Veronica stumbled over to them. Surprisingly jovial for someone in the presence of her recent ex, “Archibald,” she slurred slightly. “Stop hogging our fair Elizabeth, she was having fun with the girls, attracting a mate, until you started distracting her. Now shoo, she’s mine!” She waved her hand dismissively at him and wedged herself between him and Betty, leaning over to refill her cup and, what Betty assumed was also Josie’s.

The blonde cast her long-time best friend an apologetic look, but there was no need. He understood that they had to keep up appearances. Besides, these interruptions would just make their time together later all the more sweet. “Enjoy ladies,” He grinned gently, giving his girl a lingering look before fading back in to the crowd. “Hope you attract a lovely mate.” He added, just to give her shit. It left her smiling, albeit with a slight roll of her eyes. They both knew there was only one person she was interested in attracting tonight.

Her girlfriends had kept her chained to the dance floor for the next half and hour before Josie had abandoned them in a similar fashion as Kevin, finding a serpent boy apparently nicknamed ‘Tator Tot’ that Betty didn’t recognize, and disappearing in the middle of a song. She would never understand what went into the creation and assignment of these serpent nicknames.

Betty was in the midst of planning her own escape when Veronica spoke, drawing her out of the trance she didn’t even realize she’d been in. “I think I’m going to have hate sex with Reggie tonight,” The shorter girl said with a misplaced wistfulness. “I mean, it’s been a long time coming and he is looking extra hot in that maroon button up.” She licked her lips, eyeing him across the room. She raised a suggestive eyebrow at him and he returned the gesture with a knowing smirk. “Yeah, that is definitely happening.” Veronica turned her back to Reggie’s direction briefly, tugging at her strapless dress to create more cleavage. “Sorry to abandon you, sweetness, but mama has needs. After breaking up with Archie I am _really_ missing our voracious sex life. I have been with many lovers, but none quite as adept at using his tongue to-“ Betty interrupted her before she could continue with a sentence she was certain she had absolutely zero desire to hear the end of.

“Oh, looks like Cheryl is making eyes at Reggie too. You better go stake your claim!” She lied, but it worked to distract her friend who suddenly got a very determined look on her face and seemed to make a beeline for her conquest. 

Alone at last! Betty’s whole body seemed to relax at this fact. She immediately started to seek out Archie, ready to leave _now,_ if he was. They’d done enough to keep up appearances by now, right? 

As she made her way off the overly crowded dance area, she realized that she was definitely feeling the effects of whatever was in that ‘snake venom,’ that was for damn sure. Her vision was a little blurry as she searched around the room, and she quickly remember exactly why it was she didn’t usually drink. Instead of finding Archie, he found her, his hand catching hers in the dark room. “Babe-“ He couldn’t stop himself, the nickname tumbled out, his eyes lighting up with excitement upon finding her. 

Her smile was almost impossibly large at his first time use of that nickname, even if it was a risky place to do so. With slightly less inhibitions than usual, she was willing to throw caution to the wind. “Hey, handsome.” Her hand came up to touch his face quickly, but just as soon she returned it to her side, even in this state, she knew better. However she did lean up close to his ear, under the guise of the music being too loud, to whisper; “Let’s get out of here.” 

“Gladly.” He grinned, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her out of the jam-packed warehouse. Shoving the metal doors open, they were met with the smell of cigarette smoke and the brisk, invigorating breeze of the cool night air. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm, navigating her past the random groupings of people outside in various states of revelry. Some were hooking up against the side of the building, or against the cars parked closest to the entrance. Others were passing around what appeared to be a blunt, given the herbal smell and chorus of coughs emitting from their small circle. There was even a group off in the distance that seemed to be circling around two guys getting ready to fight. 

Ignoring all of that, Archie kept guiding her towards the safety of his truck. He was suddenly acutely aware of just how sketchy this place was. Maybe it was because she was with him now that he was more concerned with safety than before, when he’d arrived alone.

She probably should’ve been more focused on walking than texting, especially given the knee high, high-heeled brown boots Veronica had insisted she wear since they went _perfectly_ with her dress made it hard to walk even when she wasn’t inebriated. They’d been that solution she’d found when Betty had protested her dress was far too short and revealing. Her intentions were pure enough, really, she’d only wanted to send the two friends she’d come here with a message that she was leaving since they had both seemingly found alternative rides home in more ways then one. 

It was because the keyboard kept moving positions, thanks to her blurred vision, that she wasn’t paying close enough attention to walking. The next thing she’d known, she’d tripped, her phone flying from her hands and crashing down to the pavement with a loud clatter. 

Betty herself, however, was lucky enough to be caught by Archie’s strong arm before she could suffer a similar fate to her electronic device. “Shit, Betty, be careful!” He scolded, more out of concern than anything. He’d managed, just barely, to stop her from falling and busting her face on the concrete, maybe he was a little bit in shock from that. Still, more softly he added, “You okay?” 

She answered him only with a nod, slightly embarrassed. He steadied her back on her feet then, moving away briefly to pick up her phone, surveying the damage. Other than one small scratch across the screen, it was unharmed. He handed it back to her, his hand lingering over hers as he did so. 

“Oops,” Even though there was nothing funny about it, she couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ll put my phone away.” She nodded, mashing the send button on the group message she’d crafted, and then placing her phone back into her clutch. “Okay, I’m focused!” Another giggle bounced from her lips and he couldn’t exactly be mad at her when she was this adorable and he’d spent so much of the night secretly pining after her. 

They should definitely have waited to be somewhere safer than the inside of his truck in that parking lot before sharing a kiss. _Anyone_ could’ve seen them, including a couple people they _really_ wouldn’t want to. Even knowing this, Betty couldn’t stop herself. And Archie hadn’t put up much of a fight either. He’d helped her into the passenger’s seat, closing the door and going around to his own side. As soon as he’d slid into the driver’s seat, she was grabbing a fistful of his shirt, pulling him towards her. “Betty,” His tone was warning but also tortured, obviously wanting exactly what she did. 

“Just one kiss.” She begged and he lost any will power he had, letting his lips find hers lustfully. The kiss became dangerously passionate and he had to force it to and end before it rendered him incapable of driving them to a more appropriate location for such intimate explorations. 

The drive to their destination was filled with sideways glances, quick pecks at red lights, and the soft hum of the radio playing as a soundtrack to it all. As they headed back towards Riverdale proper, Betty couldn’t help but notice when Archie missed a major turn that would take them back in the direction of their neighborhood. “Arch?” She asked, perplexed. 

He figured that failing to take that turn would raise some concern; it made him smile gently, happy he’d kept his surprise this long. “Our parents are each under the impression we are staying with friends tonight, so I thought we could take advantage of the alibi.” As he drove, he reached into his back pocket, taking out his wallet and handing it to her. 

Opening it, she saw a hotel room key slid into the front credit card slot. Her heart fluttered, “We can just sleep-“ He began, but stopped himself as he watched her shake her head no before he could even finish.

“You are my best friend, Arch. But tonight, I don’t want you like a best friend.” She let her words sink in and then punctuated them with “Drive faster,” Her demand was a playful one, delivered while tugging her headband off, abandoning it into the cup holder. 

“Yes ma’am,” He laughed softly, shifting lanes as he did just that to make it through a yellow light only a few blocks from the hotel. 

By the time they parked and made their way inside, she was basically shaking in anticipatory desire. Thank goodness he’d taken the time to check in earlier that evening, she wasn’t sure that she could take waiting any longer than she already had. 

He’d barely swiped the key against its receptor when her lips were finding his with unbridled need. Shutting the door behind them, he gave in to his own wanton longings, his hands cupping her face briefly, before allowing them to slink down her back, over the curve of her butt. He groaned lustfully into her neck as the kiss broke, “You’re a little drunk, maybe we shouldn’t…”

She silenced that train of thought with a kiss and brought his hands to the hem of her dress, helping him tug it over her head. “I love you, sober. This has nothing to do with being tipsy, I can promise you that.” This time she was more prepared for him to see her in such a state of undress, so she wore a light purple lace lingerie set that caused his breath to catch in his throat. “I’m more drunk on lust for you then whatever that snake syrup shit, trust me.” She remarked, sliding her hand into his. 

Clad only in that barely there lingerie and those knee high boots she was certainly a sight to behold. He let her lead him towards the large, plush, king sized bed where she eventually perched herself on the edge. “Help?” She asked looking up at him expectantly, pulling herself back on her elbows, kicking her leg up to indicate what it was she was requesting help with; the removal of those boots. 

He was more than happy to oblige, kneeling down at the edge of the bed, unzipping each boot with painstaking care. He pressed soft kisses to newly exposed skin, and then let his lips travel up farther, towards her inner thighs.

Their first two times together had been slow and painstaking in a different way. He’d taken so much care to be sure that the predominant emotion she felt from his was love. This time, he was intent on making her feel something else in addition to that.

Tonight their dominating force was uninhibited, passion-driven, lust. Usually they went straight to the main event, but tonight he wanted to really take his time and show her just how good he could make her feel. “Is this okay?” He asked, his lips grazing over lacy fabric between her legs. 

“Mmm.” Was her only audible reply, her chest heaving with growing desire. 

Hooking his fingers into the lilac waistband, he tugged it down with ease and then kissed each of her thighs again before his tongue went to work, bringing her pleasure expertly, in a way he hadn’t before. By the time that he’d managed to undo her, her cheeks were flush with a mix of exhaustion and desire. He was far from finished with her yet. 

If the other times had been magically, this was earth shattering. She’d decided, daringly, to be the one to take control of their love making this time. Instead of laying on her back as she had the times before, she moved over him, his hands steadying her hips as she did, helping to lower her down. 

Again, they seemed to move together in perfect sync, hands grasping at each other’s bodies with great need. Lips seeming to find each other like heat-seeking missiles. For someone so inexperienced, she seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She credited that to the fact that it was with him. She found ardent release twice more before he let himself fall to pieces at the rock of her hips as well. She’d collapsed against him, sweaty and spent; yet beyond content. They were both completely expended after that, happy to tangle into one another’s arms without having to bother with putting the clothes back on. Tonight had been something else; a night neither would ever forget. 

She settled against his chest, snuggling close against his warm skin as his hand traced a lazy pattern up and down her bare arm, holding her to him. “I love you,” He reminded her.

“Love you,” She mumbled gently, eyelids heavy and ready to welcome the respite of sleep, the soothing trails he made against her arm lulling her in to slumber fastidiously. 

It was there, in the peaceful solitude of a rented room, amidst a backdrop of soft white sheets and down blankets, that he first experienced one of her nightmares. Perhaps it was the alcohol fogging her mind, or the fact that it had been blown by Archie for more than an hour in tantric pleasure, but she was rendered incapable of fighting it off before it could consumer her. As it had many times before the brutal recounting of that fateful night with the Black Hood came flooding back to her in surrealist detail. 

The nightmare almost always started the same, with flashes of the memory of the coffin lid closing over _his_ face; the first scoop of dirt hitting the closed wooden surface with a sickening thud.

The noise in her mind caused Betty to stir against her lover, but she remained asleep, slipping farther into the reaches of the horrific memory. 

They’d spent so much time uncovering that grave and revealing its empty contents had been shocking. But then came the harrowing _click_ letting them know they weren’t alone, and that their would-be assailant was armed and obviously dangerous. 

The sick feeling she had then returned instantly, even as she slept. 

‘Get in the coffin’ the modified voice had demanded. Archie had been so brave, so defiant with his initial refusal. But then, the Black Hood had voiced a phrase that neither of them would ever forget. It haunted her nightmares again now. ‘Get in the coffin, or I shoot her in the head.’ The way the man had tacked on ‘right now!’ with such urgency had been enough to make Archie realize, it wasn’t worth the risk. He’d given her one long, terrified look, and stepped in. 

She could never describe to anyone how horrific it felt to be instructed to bury your best friend, the boy you’ve been hopelessly in love with since you were eight, knowing he was still alive. He’d stayed so brave for her, nodding even through his overwhelming fear as he watched her close the coffin over him. It had been a moment they were both sure would seal his fate. Archie was dying in there. And it was, more or less, going to be at her hand. 

Back in reality, beads of sweat formed on her brow, evidence of the night terror that plagued her sleep. She rolled away from the safety of Archie’s arms, as if the comfort of them was unbearable as her mind played these memories like a movie reel. She writhed and turned as each memory of her dumping shovels full of dirt came back to her in alarming detail, even down to the awful sounds. 

She remembered talking, trying to stall or barter with the man who kept his gun trained on her as she complied to his horrific request, but none of that was clear to her now. All that came into focus was the horrific knowledge that she’d almost buried him alive; well she _had_ , but it could have been fatal. Even if it was at the direction of a psychotic killer, she had almost been the reason Archie Andrews’ light had gone out for good. Even the idea of that was unbearable. 

It was then that the tears came, silent and hot, streaming down her face as she slept. A small whimper audibly escaped her lips and Archie was awake instantly at the sound, on high alert that something was wrong.

“Betty?” He called out in the dark room and his eyes took a moment to adjust. With the curtains drawn tightly, there was almost no light in the room, except for the faint glow of red digits on the alarm clock that read 4:13 AM. His eyes shifted from that to her sleeping body in seconds and another wail came from her, even more heart wrenching then the last. “Betty...” He tried not to sound too urgent, but she seemed rather distressed and he figured waking her up would help pull her out of whatever was torturing her this way. She was still trapped in the nightmare, though, unable to hear his sweet voice beckoning her back to reality with him. 

The sirens came to her next, loud and echoing in the depths of her mind. Something had taken over her body in that moment a survival instinct, maybe? The words she’d spoken came back to her then; _Archie doesn’t have to-_ she hadn’t been able to finish the sentence because it wasn’t even something she’d dared speak into reality. Thanks to those sirens, she hadn’t needed to. She’d reared back that shovel with as much strength as she had in her and she would never forget the sound it made connecting with his skull. She hadn’t stopped to check if he was conscious or not; if the immediate threat was truly gone. Once she’d seen the gun fly from the Black Hood’s hand she’d sprung to action, jumping down into the grave without any hesitation, swiping at the dirt as fast as she could in order to get to him. Unlike in reality though, in this version of the nightmare, she couldn’t get the lid back open. Archie lay just under her fingertips, but she couldn’t get to him. The sound of him banging against the lid made her body thrash in real life. He was calling her name, begging her to save him… 

Archie’s worry grew as he studied her struggling against the pillows, he knew he needed to wake up her up, something was clearly wrong. He grabbed her shoulders with both hands and gave a forceful shake, speaking her name more loudly and directly than before. “Betty!”

It was enough to rouse her from her sleep and her eyes flew open instantly, sitting up, while beads of cold sweat dripped down her temples. “Sorry I-“ She gasped for breath, shaking her head; the traumatic memory so fresh and real, it was like she’d been right there again.

He pulled her to his own bare chest, “Shh, it’s okay,” He soothed, his fingers tangling into unkempt blonde hair. “Nightmare?” He asked after a couple beats.

She nodded against his chest and even if he couldn’t see her response, he felt it. “That night,” She whispered gently and even without supplying any other details, he knew exactly what she was referring to. That memory had plagued his dreams on more than one occasion as well. 

“We’re okay, Betty.” He reminded her gently, but sensing her own safety probably hadn’t been at the forefront of her distressing dream, he tacked on, “You _saved_ me.” 

“I put you in danger in the first place!” She cried softly, tears pooling against his taut chest. 

“You had no choice, sweetheart.” He reminded, his hand stroking her hair gingerly. 

“I never should have involved you in any of that-“ 

“If you had gone through that alone I would never forgive you. Betty; I might have _lost_ you, if you had. What happened to us was horrible and awful and believe me, it fucked me up too. But we made it out, we’re okay.” He drew back and leaned across to her side of the bed, fumbling for a moment to find the light switch of the bedside lamp before flicking it on. It cast a dull illumination around the immediate area and they each blinked a few times to let their eyes adjust. “Do you remember what you said when you opened the lid?” He asked, his voice was so small, it reminded her for a moment how young they both really were. 

“I asked if you were okay?” She asked, trying to recall, but all of that was a blur. She was so focused on getting him out of there, nothing else about that part of the memory came back to her. 

He shook his head, “You said ‘I got you,’” Tears sprung in his eyes now and he leaned his forehead against hers. “And in spite of _all_ the craziness, I’d never felt safer.” His lips pressed against hers tentatively, “We survived, together.” He muttered, his lips moving to part hers in a way that communicated how he felt about her. “So trust me when I say, _I got you_ , too.” He mumbled the rest, stopping every couple of words to kiss her again.

And they did _have_ each other. She’d been so brave; he’d never forgot that. She’d been so devoid of fear when they both ran after their attacker, a man who had already killed so many. “What we went through? No one really knows…” She said, opening her eyes as she pulled back ever so slightly. 

“No one could even understand,” He lamented, though some part of him felt like it bonded them together and solidified their love even more, maybe he didn’t mind that everyone else was on the outside of that. “You can always talk to me about it, you know.” 

“I don’t want to make you relive it either,” She admitted altruistically, “But I do know that,” She assured. 

Her hair stuck haphazardly to her face in the place where beads of sweat had matted it down. It made her aware of the other areas of her now damp with perspiration thanks to her disturbing dream. “I think I’m going to take a shower,” She noted, tossing the covers off of her body, instantly missing the warmth they’d manage to trap there. “Join me?” She asked, but he could tell it was an innocent invitation, not an erotic one. 

“Of course. Here, let me get it started, you wait here.” He pulled the covers over her again before she could protest, dropped a kiss against her forehead, and then rose himself, padding the short distance to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water and let it run a little, grabbing them each a couple towels and moving them within reach for when they were done. Deciding that everything had been prepared to a sufficient standard, he returned to retrieve her from the bed. 

It may not have been sexual, but their shower together was definitely romantic. Taking a shower always made Betty Cooper feel more like herself, it was like she could wash away whatever was bothering her, at least for those moments when the water cascaded down over her body. 

At first they’d just stood there, letting the hot water wash over them like a waterfall, arms wrapped around each other, lips meeting every so often as a tender reminder the other was there. But then, she’d reached for the shampoo and he’d raised his hand to meet her own, placing it on the bottle. “May I?” He’d asked, almost shyly. 

There was something surprisingly intimate about the way he lathered the shampoo and eventually conditioner into her soft golden hair. He was always so tender with her and this time was no different. But the way he trailed his hands over her as the glided the suds-covered washcloth over her soft skin had sent a shiver down her spine. The movements could only be described as sensual, especially as he seemed to pay special mind to her breasts.

She returned the favor, taking her own sweet time with him. His body appeared even more chiseled under the constant stream of water and she was fairly sure the sight of which was something she would never, ever forget. 

By the time they’d finish, sleep was calling for them again. They’d taken just as much care with drying each other off and soon found themselves back under the plush covers of the bed, drifting back to sleep, content to pretend that this little escape could really last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that went a little longer than I intended, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me now if you have any ideas or requests for future chapters, no promises, but I'll see what I can do! Thanks again for reading my story, please feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I had a few ideas for this chapter and couldn't decide which direction to take it and kept going back and forth until; the final result! Please enjoy, and see the end for a few additional notes.

Some days, Archie longed for the times when his biggest problem was that his mom had left. At the time, it had felt so earth shattering. Now? It seemed almost trivial. She was an adult who’d made a selfish decision, well, _decisions_. Tragic as it were, it was a choice she’d made, not something that had happened to their family beyond their control. 

Since then, so many insane things _had_ happened to his family. Most importantly, his father had been shot. Almost losing him had really put things in to perspective. It had clarified some very important things for the younger Andrews man. That night had shown him the two people he needed in this world to survive. One was the man lying on an operating table; the other was on the receiving end of the phone call he made on his way to hospital. 

He wasn’t quite sure what had possessed him to call Betty that night. Perhaps it was because anytime he was scared or worried growing up, she’d been the one to make it better. For most kids, comfort was a teddy bear or that special blanket they’d cuddled since before they could even remember. For Archie? Comfort was Betty Cooper. Always had been. 

It was the slight curl of her hair at the bottom of her ponytail. It was the scent of her sweet smelling shampoo. The way her eyes looked when she got _really_ determined to do something. The way she squeezed his hand during scary movies when they both knew it was for his sake, not her own. 

Even as they’d grown up, her ability to provide comfort and respite had never faded. If anything, it’d grown stronger because as they’d gotten older and closer, she’d started to know and anticipate his needs better than he could. She’d always been perceptive and empathetic, that was true, but she seemed to be particularly in tune with him, from the very start. Hell, she’d always been, simply put, _perfect_. 

All of these thoughts distracted him as he sat across the room from her, observing her instead of following along with the science lecture. He watched the way she rolled her mechanical pencil between her fingers. The way she would erase any letter she hadn’t perfectly formed, ever the perfectionist. He considered the way that she _really_ listened as their teacher spoke, unlike the rest of his classmates, himself included. She asked thoughtful questions, too. That’s just who she was though, the kind of person who listened to everyone, every story. No matter how stupid or pointless, or how many times she’d heard it. She listened with genuine interest, too. In that moment, he decided that was quite possibly the thing he loved most about her. 

“Stare much?” Kevin, who was sitting behind him, piped up with a gentle whisper.

It took a moment for him to register what he’d meant but then his cheeks were turning a light shade of pink. “Oh…no it’s not like that man.” He stammered, but it was with too much of a delay, and too much of a stutter to sound convincing. 

“Oh, okay, _man._ ” Kevin emphasized the last word, smirking gently. “But, just saying, if it were _like that,_ I’d totally support it.” Then, he’d leaned back into his seat, as not to draw attention to them. 

Vowing to do a better job of not openly gaping at her, he suddenly became very interested in the subject of the lecture, raising his hand to ask a question at one point. By the end of the class period, he’d even scribbled down a few notes. They would likely make no sense to him later, but they were notes nonetheless. 

It had been almost a full week since their night at the hotel and they’d barely had a moment alone since. Between her family dramas with Chic, his obligation to sports coupled with helping out a still recovering Fred, and the fact that they did have other friends? It made it impossible to schedule some actual time that was just for them, unless walking to school together every day counted.

It didn’t feel like enough, not when their connection had grown so magnanimously in the past two weeks. Beyond sleeping together and the obvious excitement of their new physical relationship, he found that the only times he really felt happy, or like himself anymore, were the times spent with her.

The bell rang, signaling time to head to their next period and he was hoping to steal her for the walk between classes, but Kevin beat him to it. In fact, the brown haired boy had made a beeline for her as soon as the bell rang. Archie had a sneaking suspicion that had something to do with their brief conversation about his apparently open ogling of the object of his secret affections.

Archie was right. “Observation one,” Kevin began, linking his arm with hers and basically dragging her in to the hallway. “You and one Archibald Andrews have been walking to school together again _every_ day.” That wasn’t exactly incriminating evidence.

“Observation two, he spent approximately 36 minutes of a 45 minute class period blatantly staring at you.” Okay, that was slightly more indicatory of guilt. But, it was also an obviously hyperbolized statement. She had to admit, it did make her a little giddy to know he could find her so captivating.

“Observation three, you’re less uptight lately and not just in an ‘I’m no longer being stalked by a psycho serial killer’ kind of a way and more, quite frankly;” He turned to make eye contact with her and dropped his voice very low. “In a ‘I’ve been getting laid’ way.” Okay, that last part was definitely a cause for concern. She needed to nip Kevin’s suspicions in the bud, and fast, before she and Archie became the topic of his next gossip column. 

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there.” She followed him as he turned down the corridor that would lead to their next class, which they luckily had together. “One: As you mentioned, I was stalked by a psycho serial killer. My mother requested Archie walk with me every day as a way of keeping tabs on me.” She noted that lie in her mind, making sure to inform Archie of that new part of the cover story later. 

“Acceptable reason, next?” Kevin nodded, allowing her to continue.

“Two, it’s more likely he was staring off into space fantasizing about his former sexcapades with Veronica and happened to be doing so in my general direction then that he was looking on me. Let’s be real Kevin Keller; I would’ve felt those beautiful eyes if they’d been undressing me from across the room. Evolved and content to be single as I am, that is still my fantasy, okay?” She hoped her admittance of her own lust driven feelings would be enough to squash his budding suspicions about the nature of Archie’s for her. 

“Hmm,” He mused, taping his fingers against his chin as he decided if he bought that. “Plausible, go on.” 

“And lastly, sad to report other than one very disappointing loss of virginity that you’ve already been informed of, I’ve not been getting _any_.” As they entered the classroom and took two seats next to one another, she added; “I think it’s just that he and I have finally had time for our friendship again, that’s all. Being single means our free time isn’t completely dominated by being with our significant others. So we’ve been talking more. And hanging out a little when we have time, which isn’t much.” He didn’t seem convinced and his eyebrow was raised in obvious reluctance to believe what she was spewing about friendship. 

Begrudgingly, she sighed and then continued with; “Look _maybe_ those feelings I once had are sort of coming back for me but I’m pretty sure that he is both out of my league and not ever going to see me in that way, so it’s a moot point. Now please, promise not to bring it up again unless I do, it only gets my hopes up for nothing.” She said, doing her best to make her eyes look sad and genuine.

“Okay fine, but one last observation and then I’m shutting up about it. You are out of the league of every one in this school, nay; this _town_ , Betty Cooper, _not_ the other way around. Don’t you ever forget that! And trust me, I saw the way he looked at you in there and at the risk of getting those hopes up; I just have to say-“ 

“Mr. Keller, care to share your very important conversation with Ms. Cooper with the rest of the class?” The gravely voice of their elder, male teacher interrupted him mid thought. 

Betty turned red instantly; she hated being in trouble. Plus, the subject matter of their conversation was hardly even one she wanted to discuss with Kevin and it most certainly wasn’t one she wanted to share with anyone in this room, much less Jughead, who sat in the adjacent back corner, next to Toni and Sweet Pea.

Kevin, a little more adept at playing things off when being put on the spot simply went with, “Oh, my apologies. Betty and I were just having a small debate in the hallway and I was simply telling her that the point is _not moot_. “ He stressed the last two words carefully, making his eyes wide as he gave her a very pointed look. 

The instructor was obviously less than impressed, with a sigh he shifted his gaze from Kevin to her, causing her to swallow uneasily and turn a deeper shade of scarlet. “Ms. Cooper, shall I award you time for a rebuttal?” She could tell by his tone that, he wasn’t interested in wasting any more of his precious class time. 

“No, sir. Sorry, it will _never_ happen again.” She was pretty sure her entire body had turned a deep hue of scarlet by now. Betty didn’t get in trouble for such frivolous things, _ever_ ; she was legitimately going to kill Kevin later. She sent him a glare that would communicate as much. Then, wishing she could disappear, she slunk a little lower in her chair and willed the time to tick by faster. 

By the time the school day was over, she decided that she and Archie needed to cool things down. If Kevin was picking up on these little hints, it probably meant her nosier, more dramatically inclined friends either had as well or would soon. Baring that all in mind, she’d decided not to wait to walk home with him. 

He found her waiting on his front porch and smiled gently, relief washing over him. He hadn’t seen much of her outside of their shared classes, but when she hadn’t waited for him to walk home, he’d thought something might be wrong. “I was wondering where you’d run off to after school.” He remarked, climbing up the stairs to meet her. He slid his key into the door and turned the lock with a click, letting them in. 

She waited until the door was closed behind them too respond. First, she pressed a long awaited kiss to his lips. Their arms wrapped around one another, grasping as if their lives depended on it. Finally, after a few moments like that, she pulled away and started the conversation that had been nagging at her since before lunch. “Kevin is being weird,” She started, kneeling down to pet Vegas who’d bounded in from the kitchen as soon as they’d entered the house. He’d barked impatiently as they were locked in their lover’s embrace, demanding attention. “He shared with me how he’s noticed we’ve been walking to school together more lately-“ 

He butt in before she could finish. “That’s not that strange Betty, we’re neighbors and best friends!” 

“Yeah, that’s just the beginning of his suspicions, will you let me finish?” She gave him a lock of mock annoyance, then digressed for a moment to add, “Side note, I told him my mom asked us to walk together for ‘safety reasons,’ if it ever comes up.” He nodded his understanding and she went on. “He also said that he caught you staring at me for like half an hour in civics today and while I know he is exaggerating, I could totally feel your eyes boring a hole through me.”

Archie scrunched his nose, “Guilty as charged,” He conceded, taking a step towards her. “But, that’s on you as much as it’s on me.” He defended. When her eyes narrowed in obvious disagreement he tacked on, “You look so beautiful, what do you expect me to do?” He asked, extending his hand to help her up and lead her into the kitchen. 

His compliment endeared her and she couldn’t help but give him a sweet smile in reply. Following him, she finished her recounting of Kevin’s observations as he fished around in the pantry for a snack. “Okay, so then he went on to say that I seem less uptight in a, and this is a direct quote,” She used air quotes to emphasize this, “in a you’re getting laid way.” She rolled her eyes and let out a displeased, exasperated sigh. 

Rather then sympathizing with her pain, he smirked. “I mean, he isn’t wrong. It’s certainly loosened you up a little.” He grinned with a mouth full of potato chips and elicited another eye roll from her.

“I’m glad you find this all so amusing, Arch.” She shook her head in irritation. “This is an actual problem. If Kevin is saying that, other people are thinking it. They’re going to talk. It’s going to get around. Then, we’re going to have to clean up the mess.” Sometimes she wished he friends could be a bit more mature with their handelings of drama.

“Well what did you tell him in response to that?” He continued to crunch the chips loudly, which only seemed to irk her more. He was definitely not taking this seriously.

“I told him the reason I was less uptight was because you and I have been hanging out and it’s been nice to have our friendship back.”

Archie raised an eyebrow at her, his reluctance mirroring Kevin’s own from hours before. “You think he bought that?”

“Of course not. So I admitted that I sort of had some feelings for you resurfacing and that maybe that’s the giddiness he was sensing. I mean, doesn’t hurt to plant the seed I suppose? Besides maybe now he will be a less aggressive member of team ‘let’s get Betty a rebound guy’ with Veronica.” 

He stewed over her words and, stopping at the fridge to grab two bottles of water, extended one to her. She shrugged again. “Anyway, I told him that it didn’t matter and not to bring it up because you were probably not going to return my feelings, just like the last time I’d had a hopeless crush on you.” She couldn’t hide the hurt she still felt over the painful memory of when he’d rejected her, even if it did seem like forever ago, especially now. Even when things between them were _so_ , incredibly different in the present. He 

Before he could say anything apologetic about that, she continued with, “I told him it was a moot point. So hopefully he’ll give it a rest for now. That being said, maybe we should kind of take a step back and give each other a little space until we’re ready to tell people.” Even as she spoke the words aloud, she could tell she didn’t mean them. 

“Sorry, that’s not happening.” He stated simply and she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter at his directness and confidence in his words. “I will try my best to be less obvious, tone things down a _little_ bit. But we rarely have time together as it is, I’m not giving up any of the few moments we do have.” 

“Maybe we should just tell them? I mean it’s not like we planned it, it just happened. How can they be mad?” 

“No!” He said it almost too quickly, too harshly, he could tell instantly by her deflated reaction. To balance out his initial reaction he more gently added, “No, not yet. I don’t want to let anyone else in yet.” He set down his water and placed his hands on her face tenderly. “I like keeping things between us. It’s less stressful this way. Nobody butting in with their opinions or judgments. No pressure from anyone else about what we are to each other.”  
  
Except, that question had bothering her for a while now. She couldn’t stop herself, “Well, it’s not like it wouldn’t be a valid question.” Her defensiveness made it come out cold, her eyes avoiding him, casting down towards their feet. 

Tucking his fingers under her chin, he tilted up gently so she’d bring her eyes to meet his before he spoke. “I told you Bets, I’m yours. You’re mine, right? What else do we need to know than that?” He asked, leaning in to kiss her before she actually vocalized a response. 

What else did she need then that? To be called his girlfriend, apparently. It was eating away at her more than she could understand or explain. “I guess,” She said softly, but devoid of any confidence. She didn’t want to seem pathetic so she kissed him again. “You’re right, titles are stupid anyway.” She didn’t think those words had convinced either of them, but he seemed content to let it go. 

The feelings of rejection seeped in before she could stop them. With those feelings usually the darkness within her would rise up. Even as he kissed her now, her anxieties had already taken over, they weren’t going to let her off the ledge she’d put herself on.

Her nails dug in to newly healed skin ever so slightly. The downside of confiding in him about her self-harm tendency was that she couldn’t use her coping mechanism around him without making him get all concerned. She needed to get out of here, fast. 

He sensed the shift in her demeanor immediately. He’d kissed her enough to know she wasn’t fully in to it right now. He was gentleman enough to break the kiss, but he knew he should’ve asked her what was wrong. Yet, the words didn’t come. Maybe it’s because he knew what was wrong, so it was almost idiotic to ask her. 

He knew her well enough to know exactly what it was that was bothering her. She’d had this ‘not good enough’ complex since before he could remember. He knew everything he needed to say to assuage those fears, yet; the words wouldn’t come. His own insecurities were what held him back. On some level he knew that he could share all of that with her and she’d understand, but he just _couldn’t_. 

For the first time in awhile, the silence that hung between them was uncomfortable. Maybe that need to create space between them was going to happen regardless. They’d both known the honeymoon period would wear off at some point, she just thought they’d get to ride that high a little longer. Tears threatened to brim and she wasn’t interested in him seeing her in this state, not right now. “I should go…” She moved away from him slowly and he reached out to stop her, catching her wrist. 

“Betty wait.” But it was too late; he’d taken too long to articulate that sentence for it to seem sincere. 

“Mom told me to be back within twenty minutes and I’m probably already well over.” She lied easily and she didn’t really care if he bought it or not. “I’ll text you.” She added and before he could put up any real protest, she withdrew her arm from his grasp and moved quickly to the door, letting the screen bang closed behind her as she made her way to her own back door. 

Neither of them had said goodbye. She didn’t text him like she’d said she would. But then, he hadn’t either. She didn’t call him that night like she normally did, to help each other fall asleep. She’d hoped he would call her instead. On some level, he knew that, but still, didn’t. Sometimes, they could both be too stubborn for their own good.

It was a fact he’d wrestled with all night and when he woke up in the morning to find a notification on his phone that he did have a message from her, he was elated. It was short lived however, when he read what it said.

_Behind on a lot of deadlines. Heading to school early. See you there._

His heart sank and before he could stop to think, he called her. The phone rang through to voicemail and he hung up without leaving one. Why hadn’t he just reached out last night? They’d seen each other at their worst more than once, why had he been so afraid to just be _honest_? Why did he have such a propensity for ruining the good things in his life? It seemed he had many unanswered questions that would rack his brain on his solo walk to school. 

He reached out once more, this time via text as he took that long walk. 

**Eat lunch with me?**  

As he got ready for school, he found no reply. So, desperately, he text her again. 

**Are we okay?**  

That message elicited an immediate response, one that put him at ease even if his first message remained ignored. 

_Always_  

He should’ve tried to talk to her as soon as he’d gotten to school; he knew that. He should’ve told her all the _real_ reasons he wanted to keep this a secret still, but he didn’t. More importantly, he should’ve apologized, for a _number_ of things. By lunch, the opportunity to do so felt like it had escaped him already. 

She was so good at putting on a façade for every one; she could even convince herself she was fine. For some reason, though, it bothered her that Archie had seemingly fallen for her act. 

She wanted him to see through it, to call her on her shit. But he hadn’t. And for the first time since they’d taken their relationship to this new level, she felt like they weren’t on the same page. In this moment alone as she waited for her friends, she’d let her guard down. Her face must’ve been wrought with all that she was feeling, at least that was what the question she would soon be asked would imply. 

“Why the long face, B?” Veronica approached her at the lunch table, “You look like someone kicked your puppy.”

She’d been so startled by the sudden arrival and subsequent inquiry from her friend, she jumped a little. Thinking quickly on her feet she went with, “Bad grade,” sighing, hoping that her obsession with straight A’s was enough to make Veronica think that a single blip on her GPA would send her into a downward spiral of epic proportions. 

“Normal person bad grade or Betty Cooper bad grade?” Her petite friend asked with a raised eyebrow.

That made Betty smirk, “Okay it was a B minus, but still!”

Veronica rolled her eyes, “I knew it! You really need to loosen up a little; you’re going to give yourself an aneurism. Or worse, wrinkles!”

Now it was the blonde’s turn to roll her eyes. Veronica _would_ think wrinkles were worse than an aneurism. “Heaven forbid!” She gasped, sarcastically.

Thankfully, Kevin made his appearance soon after and she was left off the hook from that line of questioning. She was really hoping he had let this whole thing from yesterday go. “So, I hear Cheryl is putting together some crazy murder mystery dinner. Early reports call it the social event of the season.” He shifted his gaze from Veronica, who looked intrigued, to Betty, who looked exceptionally annoyed.

“Seems sort of tasteless given the circumstances.” She bit, maybe too harshly, considering it wasn’t even Kevin hosting this alleged party.

“Ease up, B. I’m sure it’s all in good fun.” Veronica urged, perhaps with a hint of patronization, patting the top of her friend’s hand gently.

All in good fun? Betty had to try with with all her might not to visibly recoil at the positively insensitive nature of her response. How could she be expected to ease up about something like this? She’d been terrorized for weeks by an _actual_ murderer, forced to bury her best friend alive, how could they expect her to react differently to the idea of a party that made light of such fresh tragedy?

Clenching her jaw slightly, she squeezed her free hand into a fist, digging her nails deep into her palm. She was about to let her friend know as much, but when she looked at Kevin, and found that he didn’t appear to be adamantly on her side, she knew it was no use. So instead, she just forced out a smile and did her best to croak out her response as evenly as possibly, “Fine, whatever.”

Soon, the conversation shifted to Kevin gushing about Fangs. Betty feigned interest, absentmindedly picking at the chef salad in front of her, of which she’d eaten none. She was too distracted to care about much of anything at the moment.

Last night, the nightmare had been even worse. She credited that to not having the soothing sounds of Archie’s soft voice, or even just his breathing, in her ear as she’d drifted to dreamland. Instead, she’d slept terribly, waking up basically every hour trying to escape those bad dreams until she’d officially given up on sleep at five o’clock and decided to head to school early to successfully avoid encountering Archie or dealing with anything else that might tip her over the edge. She was pretty sure she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown as it were.

The more Kev and Veronica gushed over boys, the deeper into the recesses of her mind she’d gone. She wished she were normal, that sitting here gushing about six-pack abs and dimpled grins was second nature to her.

Instead, her normal was coming home to find someone in her family had murdered a man in cold blood in her living room. Normal was receiving phone calls from and being terrorized by a psycho killer. The more she listened to the pair go back and forth; the more increasingly annoyed she grew. Why did they get to lead such simple lives and she was stuck in this nightmare? Just as her emotions threatened to bubble over and cause her to lose her mind, _he_ walked in.

Despite their _misunderstanding_ last night, he still managed to be the one thing that could center her back to reality. It took approximately one millisecond of their eyes meeting for him to know she needed out of there. He nodded towards the doors he’d just come through, stopping his ascent towards her in its tracks.

Butting in to the middle of Veronica’s sentence before she burst into tears on the spot she spoke quickly, “I have to go take care of something...” Then without providing further detail or waiting for the onslaught of questions she was sure would be coming soon, she left.

By the time she reached the doors, he was already waiting on the other side with one side propped open for her to join him. Most areas were off limits during lunch period to avoid general mischief amongst students, but they each had good reputations and excuses for special privileges that made it easy enough to explain why they weren’t in the cafeteria, if need be. “Betty I’m sor-“

She stopped him before he could finish. “It’s fine.” _It wasn’t._ “I’m fine.” _She wasn’t._ “We’re fine.” _They_ were.

“That’s a lot of fines in one sentence, Bets. Doesn’t really make you seem very fine.” He did her the courtesy of not mentioning her puffy red eyes, it seemed like pouring salt in the wound. She was obviously intent on putting on a brave face for him; he wished she’d accept that she didn’t have to.

They ducked into an unlocked classroom, seeking solitude. “It really is fine. And you don’t need to be sorry. It’s already forgotten about.” She shrugged. She wasn’t quite sure why she was lying to him about how she felt. Maybe it was because it as easier. Maybe it was because he was letting her.  
  
She wasn’t fine, of course he could tell. The dark circles under her eyes spoke volumes about how her night had been. But when he really reflected on it, it spoke volumes about how her _life_ had been. “Is it something else then?” 

She nodded and then without warning, she just burst into tears. He gathered her into his arms, letting her sob against his chest. He would never mind being there for her like this, he’d grown accustomed to it, really. But he longed for a time when these awful memories that plagued her with anxiety and despair would release their hold on her. He just wasn’t sure how he could help her get there. Honestly, he wasn’t fully convinced he was there himself. “Can you tell me what’s wrong, babe?” He asked gently.

She shrugged, pulling back, though his hands around her waist kept her trapped against him, safely. “I honestly don’t even know anymore.” She shook her head, eyes still brimming with tears. She pulled the sleeves of her sage colored sweater down over the bases of her palms and brought them up to try and wipe away the tears. “I think I’m just… _crazy_.”

He shook his head, “You are not crazy. Betty you have been through so much, you….”

He paused, his eyes searching hers in a beat of silence, and then he began to speak again, his voice small and quiet. “Do you think you’ve ever really dealt with the stuff you’ve been through?”

She felt her heart clench at that loaded question. But, she was just so tired of lying and she was clearly already in the midst of a nervous breakdown, so what was the point in playing up any more false pretenses at this point? Even though it brought her no comfort to do so, she pushed away from him, threatening to withdraw into herself again. With a raw honesty she hadn’t really given him lately she spoke; “Not really. I just sort of shove it all down into the depths of my soul and hope I can forget about it.” A sarcastic laugh fell from her lips, there was more truth to that statement than she cared to admit. “It’s not like you have either,” She noted, her tone more accusatory than she’d intended it to be.

“Maybe we should.” He shrugged, his eyes searching hers innocently. “Because I’m not fine and I don’t think you are either and I don’t mean just about what happened last night.” He tried to keep his voice gentle and he moved closer to her as he spoke. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself in a defensive position, so he placed one comforting hand on each of her biceps. In spite of herself, she let him draw her in closer.

For a moment, it felt like the comfort of his strong embrace would be all she really needed to feel okay again, but she knew it wasn’t true. “What if talking to someone doesn’t make me fine either?” She asked quietly in return. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever been ‘fine’ anymore. It seemed like forever since she’d felt anything akin to normal, would she even recognize feeling if it came? “I’m not sure I’d even know what fine is anymore.” She blinked away tears that desperately tried to escape her glassy eyes. “I think I can only function in the terrible, awful darkness Arch, and it really scares me.”

His heart ached for her. He wanted to fix this, but there was no quick remedy or easy solution that could make her stop feeling that way. “I know what you mean.” He admitted, to himself just as much as her and added; “I don’t know how to function without the bad stuff creeping in either. That’s why I think we have to stop pretending we can do this on our own.” His eyes searched hers and for a moment everything faded away but that foundation of friendship, the one that had started twelve years ago, when he’d first moved into that house next door to hers. “I can’t watch you go through this anymore. It’s killing me to see you in all this pain and there’s nothing I can do to help you. I can’t even help myself.” His own eyes became red at that confession. “The darkness comes for me too, Betty.” He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, daring to let a few silent tears escape. “You’re not the only one who’s scared.” He added, letting himself fall apart, just a little bit. 

Finally, a tiny spark of hope seemed to well up inside of her, “Maybe we can face it together, Arch?” He’d nodded, tucking his head into the nape of her neck. 

Their respite was cut short by that damn bell, which seemed to pop up at the most inopportune time. With promises to continue their conversation after school, they’d shared a few more stolen kisses and then, slipped back into the crowd of students as if they hadn’t just gone through an emotional break through of sorts.

After school, they’d gone back to his place, musing on the way about the possibility of finding a support group of some kind or a group counseling session. She wasn’t interested in dealing with any of Chic’s weird mind games or her mother’s intrusiveness. She’d texted Alice to let her know she was working on a project with Archie and then, turned her phone off, wanting to sever ties with the outside world for a little while. 

He flopped on his bed as she pulled her laptop out of her bag before joining him, leaning against the wall, resting her legs against his. She opened the browser and typed in ‘trauma support group, Riverdale area’ into the search bar. Within an instant, several results had popped up, although they were in in neighboring towns, none in Riverdale itself. It was probably better that way. 

“Shepherd’s Embrace.” He read the title of the first recovery center out loud, over her shoulder; he’d always had a propensity for forgetting about personal space, even before they’d become intimate. His eyes skimming over the description of their offered services, he continued; “ Seems like this one is very religious….” She clicked back on the browser and returned to the main list. 

They scanned a couple more options before finding one that seemed promising. “Okay, look here. This places specializes in bereavement and loss, but they seem to have a group that meets every Saturday morning for an all ages grief and trauma support group.” He looked at her expectantly. “We could try it this weekend?”

“Are we making a date for group trauma counseling?” She couldn’t help but find humor in the absurdity of that. 

He shrugged, pressing his lips to her forehead gingerly. “It is kind of romantic if you think about it.” 

She supposed the very vulnerable, emotional nature of what they’d be going into together did carry some element of romanticism with it, albeit in a twisted way at that. “It’s a date.” She agreed, sealing it with a kiss. 

She closed her computer, setting it to the side and angling her body towards him slightly. “Play me something?” She requested, casting her eyes towards his acoustic guitar, which sat perched on its stand perpendicular to his desk.

He smiled softly, rising from the bed, he was always happy to oblige her with a song, but he had a request of his own this afternoon. “Only if you sing for me?” 

She blushed at the thought, “I don’t know about that I’d rather listen to-“

But, he wasn’t having it. “Please?” His eyes were soft and gentle, convincing.

She caved with surprising ease, those eyes of his doing her in, in record time. “Fine, but just this _once,_ ” She emphasized the short-lived nature of this dalliance, as he rose from the bed, to obtain his guitar and then moved to sit in the wooden desk chair that made for a better performance space than his mattress. 

He strummed a couple random cords and turned expectantly. “Then I get to pick the song.” His eyes bore slyness in them, a boyish excitement. She frowned, hating to relinquish even more control than she already had. She wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan of letting other people take the reigns, but, she supposed it was just the two of them and _dammit_ if he didn’t look gorgeous with that shit eating grin on his face as the wheels so obviously turned in decision, not really waiting for her to agree to his terms. 

“Fine,” She said, as a formality really, scooting to the edge of the bed. “But I’m closing my eyes. And you have to pick something I know-“

Before she could finish her sentence, his was strumming the cords to one of her most favorite songs. One he _knew_ she’d have the lyrics memorized for. “Arch, I can’t pull of Stevie without full studio backing, an open road, and the windows rolled down…” She began, uneasiness in her voice, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tried to divert his attention. 

“Come on,” He encouraged gently, “For me.” He stopped playing and leaned in to kiss her, their lips parting as they found sweet release in soft caresses. As their kiss broke, they shared a smile and she nodded, letting him know she was ready to start over. As he strummed the opening cords again, she squeezed her eyes closed and with a melodic sweetness even she didn’t know she possessed, she let the opening lyrics of “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac flow from her lips. 

By the time he was strumming the closing notes, they were both startled by the sound of a slow clap starting. Betty’s eyes hadn’t remained closed the entire time, but when she finally had opened them, sometimes around the second chorus, they’d found Archie’s and with them, a confidence she’d never felt before. Neither of them had looked away until that booming clap had brought them back to reality. 

Their gazes tore from one another to the offending sound, which they would discover had come from Fred Andrews, who’d appeared in his son’s door way unnoticed sometime before they’d finished their duet. He’d heard them as soon as he’d come into the house and had done his best to stay quiet as not to end the show before really getting to enjoy it. “I think you two should take that act on the road!” He chimed in enthusiastically, moving into his son’s room, clasping the younger man on the back gently. “You have a beautiful voice Betty, always have. I remember when you two were little; we couldn’t get you to stop singing. Even in restaurants, if a song you liked came on the radio, you’d belt it out. Your mother used to act embarrassed, but, everyone thought you were so talented, especially for someone your age, so I think she secretly liked the attention.” He recalled the memory so easily, with a fondness that made both Archie and Betty feel warm inside, as if that time when things were ordinary and simple might someday exist for them again.

Fred invited her to stay for dinner that night, which somehow turned into _her_ cooking for them. One spaghetti dinner, complete with salad and garlic bread, later; she was heading back to the somber solitude of life at the Cooper house. Archie had declared he was going to walk her home, even if it was literal _feet_ away, but it was just an excuse to be alone with her when he said goodbye. A kiss was too risky, especially with Alice likely looming somewhere in the windows spying in some fashion or another. Instead, he’d settled for a hug, pulling her in for a lingering embrace. They’d both whispered, “I love you,” simultaneously, which had made them each smile softly. 

When Archie returned, Fred stood with his arms crossed, waiting, posted up against the back of the couch. “So, when were you going to tell me you’d fallen in love with Betty?” He’d asked obtrusively, bothering with no other formalities, though he did wear a smile on his face. 

His son stood in dumbfounded silence, mouth falling open ever so slightly. “Dad, I…” 

“Don’t bother lying son, it’s written all over your face.” Archie’s eyes went slightly wide at his father’s observation. Exactly _how much_ was written on his face about his feelings for her? Fred would answer that question without being asked though, “I think she feels the same way son. You should tell her.” He nodded, clasping him on the shoulder. Clearly, he didn’t know as much as he thought he did. 

Archie smirked gently. “Yeah? I might just do that one day.” A soft laugh came with his words. “But, let’s keep this between us for now, okay? I’m not quite ready for that yet.” He added, hoping to nip this conversation in the bud.

The older man nodded, “You got it, son.” His smile was gentle as well and he clasped him once more on the back before moving towards the living room to settle himself on the couch to watch television and unwind. 

Archie couldn’t help but smile to himself at his dad’s keen observation. He had to admit it, tonight just felt right. The three of them, enjoying dinner, laughing about old times as Fred told stories of their younger years. He took special care to remember the details of that night before committing it to memory and as he went to sleep that night, with her soft breathing on the phone next to him, indicating she’d already found golden slumber; he replayed her harmonious voice singing that song in his head and he was quite certain it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly cannot express how wonderful all of your kind words, compliments, and encouragements make me feel. You are all so kind and I'm still not sure I deserve it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and once again, sorry for the delay. I am hoping to finish a couple more chapters to post over the next couple days as well, that incorporate many of your great suggestions! As always, please feel free to tell me what you think about the chapter by leaving a review and thank you so much for reading my story!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, please enjoy and review!

Saturday morning she’d been the one to drive them to the small counseling center in a town just about thirty-five minutes south of Riverdale. She’d been uneasy the entire time, her knuckles white, as she’d gripped the steering wheel. She wasn’t sure what she was scared of, honestly. Perhaps it was that just acknowledging the idea of going to get help was the first time she’d truly admitted to herself that she needed it and that left her feeling rather overwhelmed and vulnerable; helpless.

Her worry presented itself in the nervous habit of gnawing at her bottom lip in frantic anxiety. He reached over, placing a gentle hand on her upper thigh. “Hey, leave that bottom lip alone, I have big plans for it later.” He’d grinned gently, squeezing where he’d just placed his hand to offer her reassurance.

She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find anything that felt brave enough. So she just mustered up her best nervous smile and dropped her hand down from the steering wheel to rest atop his. “Maybe some music will help?” She’d noted and he’d obliged her request by turning the radio on and the volume up, fiddling with knobs until he’d found something they both liked.

Finally they were pulling up to the address she’d plugged into her GPS at the start of their trip. Sliding the car into park, she cast him an apprehensive glance and took a shaky breath. “We’re just checking it out.” He assured her, and himself, as he tried to ignore the way his own heart seemed to pound against his chest now.

It was with a tempered reluctance that they each willed themselves out of the car and in through the doors to the small foyer where a sign complete with arrow directed them where to go. Four people, of various ages, already occupied the small room; as did a surplus of empty chairs arranged neatly in a circle. A table sat against the wall nearest to the entranceway, atop it a pitcher of what looked to be lemonade and a carafe of coffee and some stale looking cookies arranged haphazardly on a plate. Archie instinctively slid his hand into hers as they walked in, tugging her towards a pair of unoccupied seats on a part of the circular arrangement that had remained untouched by the others.

A few more people trickled in, one of them more official looking than the rest. Adorning her thick cableknit lavender sweater was a nametag that read “Maureen” with “Grief Counselor” inscribed just below. She looked warm and inviting enough, but her presence put neither of them at ease.

Upon noticing the presence of the two youngest people in the room, the counselor made her way over to them, extending her hand towards them invitingly. “Hello, welcome. I’m sorry for whatever circumstance has led you here, but I’m glad that you are here and I hope that we can help you with whatever you’re going through. I’m Maureen, let me know if there is anything at all I can do to help.” She offered them a smile that made them feel at least a little bit more comfortable.

“Archie,” He nodded, accepting her hand first, before casting his eyes to Betty who looked even more uneasy than he did. “That’s B-“

“Elizabeth,” Betty cut in, Betty felt to affectionate for a setting like this. She grasped Maureen’s hand in a friendly greeting as well. Then, the older woman was taking her place across the circle, ready to start.

Maureen began with general pleasantries, before regaling them with the story of her own trauma, which had occurred nearly seventeen years ago now. She spoke of how a group like this had pulled her out of her darkest of times, losing her son to a drunk driver, who she’d reveal to be her own husband by the end of the story. She’d given them the cliff notes version, she’d said, because this meeting wasn’t about her and her story. This meeting was about them, and turning new pages or starting new chapters in their own stories.

She talked about tips and strategies for dealing with grief, how everyone’s process was different, and other general types of advice or information about the process that mostly seemed like common sense to Betty.

In fact, she was growing somewhat irritated by how compartmentalized this entire process seemed until Maureen had opened the floor for anyone who wanted to share. A collective intake of breath seemed to occur all around the circle, as everyone seemed to abhor the idea of sharing anything. Betty wondered how many of them already had divulged the terrible truths that had led them to the chairs they sat in now. Would she ever be tempted to take a turn? And, if she did, would she even know where to begin?

Relief flooded her as someone else spoke up, absolving her of the responsibility, at least for the time being. Maureen had been looking in their direction as though she might encourage them to share soon. Thanks to the volunteer four chairs to Betty’s right, they wouldn’t have to.

The woman spoke of escaping her abusive boyfriend, but even as she cried recounting the tale, it seemed to bring her something much more overwhelming; closure. At some point, the counselor had moved to sit next to the woman who’d introduced herself as Clarisse, offering her some tissues as her story came to an end. As she’d spoken all her truths out loud, she seemed to let them go. Betty fantasized about that feeling and watching the other woman achieve it gave her hope for herself.

Maureen used the story to segue into her closing, her eyes catching Betty’s as she spoke her final sentiments of the morning. “We must remember, always, to forgive ourselves for the things we had to do because of our trauma that we are not proud of or may regret. Sometimes, when trying to survive, we are forced into unimaginable situations, to make decisions we never thought we’d be capable of.” Then with a slight nod that seemed to indicate she was done she added, “Thank you all so much for coming. And if you are so inclined, I will see you next week.” Then she was rising from her seat, busying herself at the refreshment table fixing a plate for Clarisse as though cookies that had been recycled from last week and too tart lemonade would do the trick.

Archie and Betty took their leave as soon as it was over, climbing into her car. “I think we should go back again next week.” She said seemingly out of the blue. He gave her a relieved smile, because he agreed. It may not have seemed like much, but the safe space Maureen created was an inviting escape from reality. Morbid as it may be, knowing that there were other people living with and fighting against their own personal darkness, it had brought them each some semblance of comfort.

Beyond that, Maureen ‘s final sentiments had really spoken to Betty. So much happened with the Black Hood, he’d forced her to do so many unspeakable things, things she’d never forgiven herself for. She’d done most of them to protect the people she loved; lashing out at Veronica, trashing her mother, breaking up with Jughead—the Black Hood had forced her hand there. If she wanted to save them, she had to hurt them.

Yet, when he’d forced her to bury Archie, it had been to save her own life. It was as though he were asking her to sacrifice the most important part of herself if she wanted to live. How had he known that was Archie? She looked over at him and smiled, despite the awful nature of what had led her to that realization. “Arch, do you believe in soul mates?” She asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had befallen them on their car ride back in to town.

“I believe in me and you, Bets.” He’d responded, his eyes finding hers. “Fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it. Sure, soulmates.” He shrugged. “Whatever it is, we’re it.” They’d shared a long kiss after that, staying at the stoplight for two full cycles before breaking for air and continuing on their way.

She finally felt at least some optimism that one day, she could be normal again. She even let herself fantasize about a normal where she could hold his hand in the hallway. Where she could call him her boyfriend. Where everyone could be happy for them. She wondered if that last part would ever be true.

They each received a text from Veronica on the ride back. Her parents had decided to head to the city to see a play with friends and were staying the night meaning she, and by extension her friends, had the Pembroke apartment to themselves for a little shindig. It wasn’t until they’d both agreed to attend that she’d shared that karaoke would be a required activity.

He’d dropped her at home and they’d each spent their time apart getting ready for the party. She wore a simple soft pink dress that was innocent and sweet and in her signature style. It still made his jaw hit the floor when he saw her walking out to his car.

One brightside to them being neighbors was that they could ride together to Veronica’s without rousing suspicion. He’d already pulled over halfway through the route, however, to pull her in for a passionate kiss the way he knew he’d long to do tonight and wouldn’t be able to. “Do we have to go? We could pretend we got lost…” She’d muttered breathlessly against his lips.

By the time they arrived, it seemed the festivities were already underway. They parted at the entrance, with plans to not stay too long, so they could escape to the comforts of his truck again before having to head back to their respective homes. He’d gravitated towards Reggie and Moose while Betty had made a beeline for Kevin once she’d finally been released from the clutches of an already tipsy Veronica who’d made her swear to a duet before she’d let her leave. She would regret that though, because once she’d left Betty, she’d flocked to Archie and hadn’t left his side since.

They’d already decided not to drink, especially since Archie was driving, so she found it quite peculiar when he took a sip of whatever was in the cup Veronica had just offered him. Even as she observed them from across them room, V’s intentions were quite obviously flirtatious.

He must’ve felt her eyes on him because he seemed to shift further away from Veronica suddenly and his eyes met Betty’s. She lifted her water bottle to her lips, shifting her own eyes back to Kevin, breaking their gaze. She didn’t want to seem jealous or like she didn’t trust him, and she was afraid of what time of emotion might be written on her face at the present moment Hard as it may be, she had to put her trust in the fact that he’d promised her he’d made his intentions clear to Veronica and that she had understood. She just hoped that applied to drunk V, not just the sober version.

A little while longer passed and she spent a good deal of that time eyeing them out of her peripheral vision, watching the suggestive way that Veronica kept touching his chest and hair. She was distracted from her thoughts by Kevin saying her name in an annoyed way that let her know it wasn’t the first time he’d done so, “Betty!” Then, as if to punctuate his displeasure, he snapped in front of her face. “You’re going all she-Hulk on that bottle of water and you stopped listening to me awhile ago and the only reason I haven’t turned around and blatantly figured out what you’re staring at is because I don’t want to bust your spot, now spill!” He hissed, leaning towards her.

“What? Nothing! I just-“ But there was nothing she could come up with so she just went with, “It’s Veronica, she’s flirting with Archie.” She sighed, loosening her grip on her water. “I just…thought they’d closed that chapter is all.” She added, hoping her irritation seemed reasonable enough.

“Give young, attractive people a little liquid courage and…” He raised his eyebrows and arms suggestively.

The thought alone made her cringe and she clenched her jaw. “It’s not like that for Archie, trust me.” She said with confidence that would falter slightly as she watched the red head take another sip from that cup. _Trust him_ , she reminded herself.

Archie seemed to read her discomfort and he decided to do something to put her at ease, covert as it may be. This had been on his mind since Veronica had mentioned the karaoke requirement. He ended his conversation with Veronica, making some excuse about getting a song ready so he could escape. Then, he’d slipped away unnoticed.

Betty hadn’t noticed him leave, but she certainly noticed his absence. Veronica made her way over to the blonde and Kevin, her speech already a bit slurred. “Betty Cooper, find a different ride home tonight, Archie is going to be staying here.”

Stiffening immediately, she tried not to sound pissed off. “Oh, he agree to that plan already?” She asked; her own curiosity more than a little peaked.

“Not verbally, but, he will.” The brunette eyed him as he came back through the doorway, this time holding his guitar case. “I always get what I want.” She smirked, licking her lips as she studied him lustfully. “Besides, he hasn’t hooked up with anyone else since we broke up. He’s clearly hung up on me.”

Before Betty had a chance to explode and tell her how wrong she really, truly was; Archie made his way over to them. “Bets, can you help me with something?” He asked, giving her that signature smile that once again seemed contagious.

“Always!” She replied enthusiastically, “Be right back!” She’d added cheerfully to Veronica and Kevin, more than welcoming an excuse to get out of that conversation.

She disappeared down the hall with him towards the bathroom where she gave him a perplexed look as if asking how they could explain heading in there together so blatantly. “Best acoustics in the whole house!” He’d sworn loudly, hoping someone might hear that and find it a reasonable answer to her unspoken question.

As soon as the door was closing behind them he pulled her in for a kiss, not paying attention to the fact that it did not catch in the lock. “I’m sorry baby,” He’d muttered against her lips, making her heart flutter. “She’s drunk and horny and I’m familiar. That’s all it is. I’m not flirting back, I swear.” He pressed her against the counter, his lips moving to her neck, hiking her leg up over his hip. “You’re the only one I want-“

The door was pushed in then, startling them both. He lifted his head from the path it had been taking, trailing from her neck towards her chest; eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. A collection of swear words passed between them as they realized the presence of one another in the small room. Reggie seemed just as shocked as they were and as Betty quickly dropped her leg to the floor and then adjusted her skirt and top, she blushed, giving Archie a concerned look.

Reggie looked back and forth between them and smirked. “Nice.” He laughed, continuing in to the bathroom as if he hadn’t just witnessed something out of the ordinary.

There was no point in saying ‘It’s not what it looks like’ because it was exactly what it looked like. A part of Betty felt relieved, honestly. Maybe this was how they could tell everyone? It was honestly the perfect way to ease them all in to the idea. But Archie clearly didn’t agree. “Ah, we…uh.” He stammered and brought his hand up to scratch his head. “One time thing.” He stated firmly, nodding at Reggie then looking at Betty who seemed exceptionally hurt.

Her sadness seemed to dissipate quickly and was just as soon replaced by anger. “Noted.” She said, glaring at him as she moved past both him and Reggie to head back to the party. Maybe she would drink a little something after all. She headed for the place where she’d left Kevin and Veronica and plucked the cup out of Veronica’s hand. “I need this more than you right now.” She noted, downing the contents of the cup in one long chug. She coughed loudly as the bitterness of the mixture burned her throat on the way down.

Meanwhile, after Archie had watched her walk away, Reggie had made a keen observation. “She seems pissed.”  
  
“You think?” Archie said, sighing out of frustration, at himself mostly. Why had he said that? He should’ve known how it would make her feel, even though he honestly meant nothing by it. He’d only said it to get Reggie off his back!

“So you two…” Reggie trailed off, raising his eyebrows.

“No, not exactly…. well…” He swallowed hard. “It’s complicated.” He decided on, even if he hated himself a little for that.

“You bang her?” He asked crudely, bringing his beer bottle to his lips.

“Reggie, come on!” Archie’s tone was annoyed and he narrowed his eyebrows at the other boy.

“That means yes. Damn, Andrews. You get around!” Archie was clearly not amused by his words so he added, “I’m just kidding! Listen, your secret is safe with me man. You want to bone Betty Cooper? I get it. She is definitely getting a lot hotter lately…” He stopped as Archie narrowed his eyes. He put up his hand in mock surrender, “Okay, I’ll stop!” Then, more wisely he tacked on the observation; “You got it bad for her.”

In spite of himself, Archie grinned. “Yeah man, I do. But we’re trying to keep it on the down low, just between us, so I appreciate you not saying anything.”

Reggie laughed, “Okay two things get out now, I have to pee. And second…” He stared meaningfully at him. “I don’t think she wants it to be a secret.”

He left Reggie to take care of business in the bathroom and returned to the main area of the party, intending to find Betty and set things straight. On his way over, however, Veronica stopped him. “There you are! I saw Betty come back so figured you were going to sing for us soon so I gathered everyone around!” She grabbed onto his arm. “I can’t wait to hear you play, Archiekins!” She added sweetly, kissing his cheek before leading him towards the makeshift stage.

Next thing he knew, he was picking up the microphone that belonged to the karaoke machine and speaking into it. “Okay, so listen, I’m not huge into karaoke. So, I brought my guitar and I’ll give you an acoustic cover instead.” He smirked; brandishing said guitar and then sliding the mic back into the small stand it came from. He sat down in a chair, propping up his leg as he started to play. “Slow Hands” by Niall Horan.

 _“I’ve been thinking bout it all day. And I hope you feel the same way. Cause I want you bad. Yeah, I want you, baby.”_ His eyes found her as he sang, inconspicuously. He hoped the gesture would bring her some reassurance, if not the lyrics. He knew Veronica’s flirting was getting to her, he knew it wasn’t easy to watch, but there also wasn’t much he could do, was there? _“No, no chance that I’m leaving here without you on me_ ,” He seemed to sing that like a promise, keeping his eyes on her. Perhaps Veronica thought one thing about how this night would turn out. And although he certainly wasn’t planning to sleep alone tonight, there was only one girl he was interested in sharing his bed with, and he’d brought her with him.

As he crooned each line, strumming the notes and tapping a beat against the wooden frame between those moments, she was completely enamored. Maybe she was the only one who knew this was for her, but that was enough. As their friends clapped for him, she had to fight the very strong urge to run across the room and kiss him. As if she didn’t already love him completely, her heart seemed to swell with utter adoration. If he needed to tell Reggie it was a” one-time” thing for the sake of keeping up appearances, so be it. Their relationship was no one else’s business anyway. She had intended to go and tell him as much, but it seemed her plans would be cut short before they were even set into motion.

Suddenly, Veronica was traipsing over to the karaoke machine set up, picking up the remote to scroll through the seemingly endless digital catalog before selecting a song and then, pulling up a chair, she led Archie to sit on it, there in the middle of what would be her performance space. She thought the song he’d performed had been for her. Both his and Betty’s hearts sank at the thought. He’d tried to object, honestly, but there was only so much protesting he could do without it seeming weird, or so he told himself.

Betty liked absolutely nothing about this new arrangement and she swallowed hard as the song started to come through the speakers. “Hands to Myself,” by Selena Gomez seemed rather appropriate because from start to finish, Veronica did anything but keep her hands to herself. In fact, by the end of the song it had practically devolved into a strip tease. The grand finale was a kiss. Betty’s heart seemed to stop for a second, and then it was beating double time. As she watched Veronica, sitting on his lap, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, she thought she might actually throw up. Everyone around her, including Archie, seemed to thoroughly enjoy it because they were hooting and hollering as if it were the performance of the year at the Grammy’s.

Her face was hot; cheeks flushed a mix of anger and something to prove. She didn’t stop to see the part where he turned his face and broke the kiss the moment she’d tried to deepen it. Where he placed his hands on her hips to guide her gently away. It probably wouldn’t have mattered to her anyway, honestly. He’d kissed Veronica back. She didn’t care if it was for a second or not. His gut reaction hadn’t been to turn away. Maybe that song had been meant for Veronica after all. Her mind was ready to spiral out of control. Let all her negative thoughts, fears, and anxieties take over. It was too hard to keep it together as it was, but the idea of Archie and Veronica was enough to tip her already fragile psyche over the edge. As her feet started to move, she was sure they would take her to the door to find her escape. It seemed, however, that they had other plans. 

She wasn’t sure when she’d crossed the room to pick up that remote. Or even what part of her brain had suggested this to her, but there she was, typing in the song title and selecting it before Veronica and Archie were even fully moving out of the way. The soft piano melody flooded the room, shooing them away a bit faster.

The gentle ballad was definitely a grave departure from the performance that had just occurred. But she didn’t care about that. She didn’t care if anyone clapped or even if she got booed at the end. She was singing this song for one person and one person only. Eyes closed, she started to sing, _“Say something, I’m giving up on you. I’ll be the one if you want me to. Anywhere I would’ve followed you. Say something, I’m giving up on you.”_

Then, her eyes were open, finding his. It seemed as she sang, she pulled all the air out of the room because all the ruckus had died down and the rowdy nature of those around her seemed to achieve a sudden placid calmness; a serene silence befell her. With each line, her emotion seemed to grow, and as she powered on past the chorus a second time, she found his eyes. She was singing to him after all _. “And I will swallow my pride. You’re the one that I love. And I’m saying goodbye.”_ Suddenly, she felt almost overcome by the emotional weight of what she was singing and feeling and her eyes were closed again and she was holding on to the silly portable microphone and its stand with white knuckles, pouring every ounce of what she was feeling into the gut wrenching final chorus, _“And anywhere, I would have followed you. Say something, I’m giving up on you.”_ As the song came to an end she could feel the tears threatening to pour down her cheeks and she didn’t care that the rest of them were clapping because _he_ was just sitting there with that sad, worried, intense look on his face. “ _Say something…_ ” It was a plea, at this point. She couldn’t take it anymore. He was the only good thing in her life at the moment and she wasn’t interested in having to hide that anymore.

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected his response to be. But she’d expected more than for him to stare. She cast him a disappointed look, had those words not spoken to him the way she’d intended them to?

But on the contrary, they’d spoken volumes. In fact, as he sat there trying to make some sense of the last several minutes, he’d only been able to focus on her beautiful, raw, powerful voice. He’d never heard her sing like that before. The heartache she coated each word with was undoubtedly caused by him; a crushing fact that he did not want to acknowledge. It made him want to run, far, far away from her and spare her all the pain he knew he’d cause her. But some part of him knew that no matter what, he wouldn’t be able to stay away for long. After all this time, Betty Cooper was still comfort to him. Betty Cooper was _home_.

So why couldn’t he just say that right now? To his friends? To Veronica? To Betty herself? All she wanted was for him to say _something_. She wasn’t asking to be proclaimed his girlfriend. She didn’t require a profession of his love. She wasn’t insisting he do anything, honestly. She just didn’t want to lie about how she felt. He seemed to forget all the justifying reasons he’d come up with before this point that had motivated him to carry on this way and he looked at her sad, helpless face and at those around them who congratulated her on how great she sounded on, seemingly oblivious to the tumultuous happenings of her mind. But he wasn’t oblivious and he had to stop pretending he was 

“Betty.” He was talking before he’d even thought of what else to say. It was probably best that way though, right? For a moment he considered commenting on her performance but that seemed cheap at a time when he knew she was expecting so much more from him. “I just have to-“ He cut off his own words, stopping his sentence short, then by taking a few strides towards her; closing the distance between them and wrapping his arm around her waist. He kissed her deeply, in a way that would probably indicate to everyone that it wasn’t the first time he’d done so, but he decided he didn’t care.

Hands and lips roamed each other and suddenly she was very aware of their friends clapping and cheering in the background and the fact that they weren’t alone sunk in. What had he just done? Had he honestly just kissed her like that in front of almost all their friends? It gave her chills just thinking about it, and it had only just occurred! “Archie I…” She brought her fingers up to her lips, slightly puffy from his hungry kisses, at a loss for words.

“I want you to go on a date with me.” His tone was hushed yet loud all at once and he made sure everyone, especially Veronica heard.

And so it would begin.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I do not own any of the songs I used in this work (sure wish I did because I'd have more money and therefore more time to write!) so just want to give rightful credit to all the actual lyricists behind those songs. "Slow Hands" by Niall Horan, "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez, and "Say Something" by Great Big World. You may want to listen to them to really get a feel for each scene where they sang, just an idea. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I love that I have people excited to read something I wrote, it is seriously the craziest thing to me! However that also means I want to be extra sure that things are right with each chapter. I hope you enjoy this one. Please forgive any mistakes I may have missed! <3

If you’d grown up in Riverdale, you’d grown up with the idea that Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews were meant to be. It was just a fact; at least that’s what Kevin had insisted as he and Betty had stolen a moment to squeal over that kiss and Archie’s profession of intentions that weren’t exactly friendly. For the most part, everyone had been happy for them. While drunk, Veronica had been easy enough to distract, but upon sobering up, her pride was more than a little wounded.

After all, in her eyes, Archie was still a lovesick puppy, pining away after her. The fact that he’d moved on was hard enough to swallow on it’s own. But the fact he was moving on to Betty made it seem all the more final and real that he would never get back with her. Being that he was probably the only person she’d dated who’d had genuine feelings for and interest in her, it hurt her more than she cared to admit. 

Although insisting she was fine, she’d made herself scare around them and seemed to be cozying up to Cheryl and Josie an unnatural amount for the rest of the night. Not only did she seem to forget about the duet she’d made her blonde bestie swear to, she’d barely spoken two words to her the rest of the night. She’d hardly even cast her a smile after that kiss, even knowing it was one that Betty had essentially been waiting her entire life for. Was she really that hung up on Archie?

Betty couldn’t bring herself to care too much, honestly. Veronica had gone after Archie when she’d first moved here knowing full well how Betty felt about him and just how long she’d felt that way. As Kevin had reminded her, it was kind of like giving her a taste of her own medicine. Despite their being no ill will or bad intention on Betty’s part, she couldn’t help but feel some satisfaction in that. Sometimes, girls like that need to be knocked down a few pegs. Sometimes nice girls didn’t have to finish last or get trapped in the godforsaken friend zone or girl next door tropes.

As he hadn’t been in attendance at Veronica’s party, they knew they needed to find a way to tell Jughead before the rumor mill got to him. Archie had decided it was his place and that he’d do it man to man, despite toying with the idea of doing it via text, which would’ve been a lot easier. But, their feelings and connections were real and certainly going to last, so he felt he owed it not just to Jug, but to Betty; to be honest and take this seriously. As expected, Jug didn’t take it very well.

“Listen, Jug; I don’t know what to tell you…it’s been a long time coming.” Archie sighed, trying to reach a point where at least there wasn’t contention between them over this. “Haven’t you moved on with Toni any way?” The last part sort of came out like an accusation, as if to remind him that if that were the case, he didn’t have a lot of room to talk.

“Toni and I are friends with benefits.” He’d snapped back, as if that somehow made it all better or less wrong than what Archie and Betty were doing. “And why now, Archie? If it’s been a long time coming, why now? Why now, after she lost her virginity to me? Did it somehow make you so angry that I had her first that you just had to have her yourself now? Is that why she slept with me in the first place, to make you jealous? She’s probably delighted that her little plan worked out so well. Just had to screw me and she got you, just like she’s always wanted!” The bitterness in his words was practically palpable.

That accusation shifted the redhead’s attitude towards his male best friend from one of sympathetic understanding and resolve to fix things to one of pure contempt. “That’s enough, Jug. I won’t have you shit talk Betty or me just because you’re pissed. I’m sorry that this hurts you, we never wanted that to happen, but we just want to be happy. If you loved her as much as you claimed, you’d want that for her. For both of us.” He should have stopped there, on some level he knew that. He shouldn’t have even merited Jug’s final questioning accusations with any response, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Yet, on another level, he was tired of Jughead’s tantrums. Of feeling some entitlement over Betty since he’d “had her first” in his words. As if Betty were merely some thing to be had. It made him sick with disgust and he just couldn’t hold back from adding on to his original statement. “We went through a lot together. She… she is absolutely, without a doubt, the strongest, most incredible person I know. And somewhere along the way, in all this crazy shit that’s happened in the last few months, I...I don’t know what happened. It’s like I opened my eyes and I _really_ saw her and I realized that I have…” He swallowed hard because he hadn’t been prepared to admit this part out loud yet, not to Jughead or anyone else really. “I had this idea of what love was supposed to mean or look like… because of that I didn’t understand that I’ve loved her since I was eight, Jug. But it’s like now that I have realized it, I can’t ever go back to how it used to be…” He swallowed hard, wetting his suddenly dry lips. He’d never even articulated his feelings that well to himself before. Or even to Betty, for that matter. ”I didn’t mean for it to happen Jug, but I’m not going to pretend that I’m not happy it did.”

“Well, I hope you two are very happy together. Tell Betty congratulations for me, now we all know I _was_ just a placeholder for you after all. But now, she’s won the grand prize! All her dreams can come true.” That biting sarcasm would be the last thing he spoke and then, he was turning away from Archie bitterly, slinking back into the serpent hangout his friend had summoned him from.

It may not have gone great, but it was over with. That fact alone brought Archie some relief. It meant he had the rest of the day to take Betty on that date he’d promised her. As he headed back to his car, he took out his phone and sent her a text. Besides, tensions were high from his talk with Jug and he could use some time to decompress. These factors helped him to finally decide on the perfect place for their date. 

**Date night instructions: wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.**

_Sounds intriguing_. _Tell me more, handsome._

**You’ll need sneakers. That’s all you get. Pick you up at 5.**

Not being dressed up to leave the house for her date made it easy not to rouse Alice’s suspicions. Happy as she may be to make things public to her friends, her mom finding out was the last thing she wanted. With Archie being so close she could only imagine the ways Alice’s security measures would raise if she knew her daughter was romantically involved with her neighbor and best friend. She was more than content to keep this secret from Alice for as long as possible. She hoped the sheer, radiating happiness that was more than apparent on her face wouldn’t prematurely give her away when she left the house.

However, excited as she was, Betty almost felt uneasy leaving her mother alone with an increasingly less stable Chic. He’d been making weird comments and remarks lately. Even though the entire thing with the man in the living room had seemed to go unnoticed by the world, it had changed the dynamic in their home. Her ‘brother’ seemed more sinister now, almost like he was obsessed with her and her mother.

She’d found him in her room just hanging out or using her shower despite having his own readily available sometimes when she got home. It made her feel supremely uncomfortable and like he was going through her things in her absence. She’d also awoken to him standing over her, watching her sleep more than once.

She’d learned Alice had too only when she’d agreed to let Betty start locking her door when she’d told her what was going on with him. The look they’d exchanged had been enough to communicate their commonality in that department. Alice was far to stubborn and saw Chic as her chance of redemption, for Polly and the mistakes for her youth; she wasn’t willing to concede that there was something seriously wrong with him.

That was why, as she’d tied the yellow bandana into her hair in signature Rockabilly fifties fashion, she’d sent FP a text asking him to keep her mom company that night, but to promise not to tell her she’d asked him to. He’d agreed without question and she’d instantly felt more relieved and went back to focusing on the task at hand; getting ready for her date.

She surveyed her appearance in the mirror, smoothing out the light colored fabric of her fitted v-neck tee after pulling it over the band of her black yoga pants. Perhaps it was a simple outfit, but she felt damn good. Maybe it as because it was their first _official_ date and the general glow of giddiness that surrounded her now made her feel and appear more beautiful, even through her own harshly critical eyes.

FP was already there with pizza when she was heading over to Archie’s. She couldn’t help but smile at the way that her mom seemed almost as excited to see him as she herself was to go see Archie. Alice was a lot of things, not many of them necessarily good, but she still deserved to be happy.

As she walked up the steps to knock on Archie’s door, she found him pulling it open before she had the chance. Then, sliding his hand into hers, he was pulling it closed and tugging her towards the car. He had a backpack thrown over his shoulder that seemed quite full and a cooler and his guitar case in the other She looked quizzically at him but he didn’t seem interested in offering any kind of explanation. “So, what are we doing?” She asked as he put the things he’d been carrying into the bed of the truck, depositing them amongst a slew of other items already littering the area.

“You’ll see.” He’d responded rather coyly, sliding into the driver’s seat.

It didn’t take her long to realize they were heading towards the highway. Whatever plans Archie had, they weren’t for Riverdale. As they pulled on, he reached over to intertwine their fingers, both enjoying the fact that for a while there, the only sounds in the car were the dull hum of the engine and the soft music coming from the radio. It gave Archie time to gather his thoughts and sort out what he wanted to say to her, because really, there was so much.

“I was scared.” He spoke out of nowhere, but the way he started sounded like they were already in the middle of some big conversation. Maybe that’s because he’d been rehearsing how this would go in his mind. “I thought if we told people and it became real it meant it wouldn’t be long before I fucked it all up. I kept telling myself that if things imploded and I lost you as a friend I’d never be able to handle it. But, now?” He turned to cast her a look, tearing his gaze from the road briefly, “I can never go back to just being _just_ your friend. I know we’re young and I know I may not have the greatest track record when it comes to commitment and relationships. But, I just _know_ that this is for real. You’re my family. You and my dad. You’re all I need in the entire world, Betty. I am so in love with you and I need you so much that it terrifies me. But the idea of not having you terrifies me even more. I’m sorry I was an idiot about telling everyone I-“

She stopped him there; she wouldn’t let him ruin that beautiful confession with self-deprecation. “Arch, shh.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You don’t think I’m terrified? I keep expecting to wake up and realize this is all some wild fantasy I created and I’m actually currently in a coma in a hospital somewhere!” It may have seemed as though she were making light of the situation, but she’d honestly had that exact stream of thoughts more than once. “You are my family, too. Sometimes, I think you’re the only person in this whole world who loves me.” She cast her eyes sadly down at her lap. The pain of everything going on with her family was hurting her more than she cared to admit.

“Hey, that’s not true. I know your mom can be intense and sometimes over the top with her expectations, but she does really love you, a lot.” He wasn’t really trying to defend Alice so much as he was trying to remind Betty that she was important to her family. Especially considering how shitty Polly and her dad had been at showing her that. “And, what about your brother?” He asked more optimistically than he should have. He’d hardly encountered Chic and something told him if things were going well, that wouldn’t be the case.

Betty shifted uncomfortably. “You’re right, she loves me. She wouldn’t be so crazy if she didn’t. But sometimes her love can be toxic.” She brought her hand not occupied by his up to twirl her fingers absentmindedly in the bottom of her ponytail. “And as for Chic,” She sighed and shook her head. “Full disclosure? I wish I’d never found him. He…” She suddenly felt bad admitting it out loud. It was one thing to think about and feel this way when she kept it to herself; it made her feel like a bad person for telling someone else. Besides, if she told him this she’d have to tell him _everything_ and she kind of enjoyed not having to think or talk about any of that when she was with Archie. Not to mention he might be a little upset she’d failed to mention the fact that someone had been _murdered_ in her living room and that she was living with a killer. With those thoughts in mind, she tried to abandon the conversation she’d started. “Never mind. It’s nothing big, really.” She wasn’t necessarily trying her best to sound convincing there though.

“Bets…” His brow was knit with concern; he obviously didn’t believe her. “What’s going on?”

What was the point in lying or keeping this from him anymore? “I don’t really know where to begin…” But somehow, she found the words to explain. Despite the fact that she enjoyed the bubble she had away from that whole mess, she knew that she had to tell Archie eventually. So with an apology, she did exactly that. “I didn’t mean to lie or keep anything from you I guess I just… tried avoiding it, best I could…” She knew she wasn’t making any sense. “I’m sorry, okay? Let me just put that out there first.” Swallowing hard, she started at the beginning; finding Chic in that seedy motel, going back for him later and pepper spraying that guy who’d been roughing him up. How she’d taken him back to their family home and how Alice had been so happy to be able to take care of and support him. How at first, things had been going pretty well.

Then, she’d dropped the big bomb. Coming home to the dead body. Helping Alice bleach the house; dealing with Hal’s subsequent suspicions. FP getting involved and her investigations into the dead man’s identity and dealings with Chic; how she’d checked the newspapers and nightly reports for any signs that this would fall back on her mother. “Ever since that all happened he’s been even more strange than usual. I found old family photos where he cut out dad and and Polly and made like a scrapbook homage to mom and me.” She couldn’t believe she was actually saying all of this out loud. If felt good to get it off her chest. “I would wake up and he would just be standing in my room staring, sometimes standing over me, looking down on me as I slept. It’s…” She shuddered, just recalling the feelings it gave her made goosebumps prickle the skin on her arms. “My mom actually lets me lock the door to my room now when I sleep. That’s how I know she thinks something is fucked up, she is insane about stuff like that. But, she also refuses to abandon him again so thanks to me, we’re stuck with him. Anytime anyone mentions Polly or my dad, he just gets so irrationally angry…I just don’t even want to be in my house anymore. It’s basically a pressure cooker just waiting to explode.”

As he took in everything he said, his concern grew. The beginning of her story had left him with a rather uneasy feeling about her brother but the more she went on, the less uneasy he felt and the more creeped out. He didn’t want this guy anywhere near Betty. “I wish you could come stay with me and my dad.” He admitted earnestly. And in that moment, sex was the furthest thing from his mind. He longed to protect her physically, mentally, and emotionally; above all else. But suddenly, it was like an idea came to his mind. “If you’re allowed to lock your door then we know we don’t need to worry about your mom walking in on us…” She could practically see the wheels turning as he spoke, “Just have to figure out a way to get me inside. Maybe a ladder to your window? I know we used to try all the time as kids and that’s how you broke your arm in fourth grade, but, we’re taller now, I think we’ll be more successful.” They both shared a smile over the memory he’d recalled to the forefronts of their minds.

A very determined nine-year-old Betty had not seen her best friend Archie in three days because he’d been out with chicken pox. She’d been vaccinated against it, but Alice refused to take any chances, so she’d forbid Betty from seeing him until he was better. This fact had absolutely broken young Betty’s heart as she had spent a greater portion of her recess that week perfecting the world’s most adorable get well card for her dearest friend and Alice wouldn’t even let her stop by Archie’s for a few minutes to drop it off. So, ever the determined one, she’d decided to craft her own plan for delivering her masterpiece of construction paper, glitter, glue, and feathers.

As was the norm, she and Archie would hold up signs to the other in their windows so they could talk back and forth; a precursor to the text messaging they did so regularly now, if they really thought about it. She’d told him she had a plan and to open his window and he’d more than happily obliged, waiting to see what she’d come up with. It wasn’t the first time they’d tried something like this, but they’d never actually been successful with bringing their plan to fruition. 

The fact that she’d been able to detach Fred Andrew’s ladder from his truck had been impressive on its own. Adding to that, the knowledge that she’d silently carried it from his truck to Archie’s window just made the entire thing more awe-inspiring. She’d placed the card into the chest pocket of her overalls; tightened each of her pigtails, and started her ascent. Halfway up she made the mistake of looking down and soon grew terrified. To his credit, he’d done his best to calm her down and steady the ladder, but it was no use. In her state of worry, her foot had slipped and she’d fallen and landed directly on her arm and to make matters worse, she’d completely crushed Archie’s card. The shared memory played like a movie reel in their minds, so real and vivid, as though they were actually seeing it unfold in front of them now.

“You were more upset about messing up the card you made me then the fact that you’d broken your arm in two places.” He laughed, gently, drawing them both back to the present. 

“I worked my ass off on that card!” She giggled as well, squeezing his hand. “I think that was officially the start of Betty Cooper, crazy person.” She noted, but she smiled nonetheless.

“I’m pretty sure it was the start of Betty Cooper, _bad ass_. I don’t know if you remember, but you refused to get in your mom’s car to go to the emergency room until you fixed the card and gave it to me.” He leaned over and stole a kiss from her lips, his skin practically tingling as he recalled the sweet, stubborn determination of his childhood best friend and how that side of her had never faded, especially when it came to him. “Broken arm and all you taped every rip and repositioned every feather with tears in your eyes on my front porch…” He blinked a couple times, as if realized that was _love_ in it’s most pure, true form. That was _Betty._ Then as if driven by some force beyond his control he added, “I will never understand what I did to deserve you.” 

“Likewise, handsome.” She retorted wistfully, scooting closer to him on that bench seat, resting her head on his shoulder slightly. “I am loving this ladder plan. I never sleep better than when I’m next to you.” She added sweetly, her lips pressing a soft, lazy kiss to his neck. It sent a shiver down his spine in the best possible way. “So if you aren’t going to tell me what we’re doing, will you at least tell me if we’re almost there? Or if it involves being outside?”

He remained silent for a moment, staring straight ahead as he decided how much he was going to divulge, before simply replying with, “Yes.”

“Wait, yes to which part?” She asked, but the sly smile on his lips told her he’d said it that way on purpose and wasn’t likely planning to offer any clarifications.

“Go with the flow, Bets. All will be revealed soon.” Then, that boyish grin of his was playing on his features. That smile that seemed to reach all the way up to his eyes spoke directly to her heart every time. She was convinced that smile could make her bend to almost any of his whims or requests. 

Shortly after, they were pulling off an exit that didn’t appear to have much in the way of things to do or places to eat. She tried to follow his instructions to go with the flow, but her curious, need-to-be-in-control nature made it hard. “Not even a little hint? What if I bribe you?” She perked up, leaning away from him to look out the front and side windows, hoping to garner some clue from the signs off the exit ramp that may indicate where they were going. “You name the terms…” The last piece came out in a sweet, soft singsong. 

“A bribe sounds tempting and like something I would more than want to use in my favor, but we are already off the exit. We’re going to be there in less than twenty minutes.” He slowed at a yellow light and leaned to kiss her firmly on the lips, silencing her as a means of ending any further ponderings from her on the matter.

He took a few back roads and she desperately wanted to ask how he knew where he was going with the use of navigation or even a map, but she did her best to hold back, as he’d requested. By that time, they’d climbed somewhat in elevation and she’d at least figured out that they weren’t going anywhere commercial or seemingly typical for a date like a movie theater, restaurant, or even putt-putt golf. She wasn’t quite sure what a date with Archie Andrews would entail, but the longer she waited to find out, the more her curiosity was peaked.

She distracted herself by putting on music. Due to the volume of foliage and their level of elevation, the radio signal was fading in and out and Betty Cooper could not stand radio static. She spun the knob until it found a station that came in clearly. “I love this song!” She smiled brightly, cranking the volume up as her eyes beamed over at him. The movie _Grease_ had been a staple of their childhood. 

As had Betty forcing him to learn the songs and sing duets, complete with full choreography, in their bedrooms for hours on end until they got it perfect. Then she’d get their parents and Polly set up as the audience and they would preform as Sandy and Danny, singing their little hearts out. _“You’re the one that I want, ooh, ooh, oooh.”_ She crooned into the invisible microphone she was suddenly clutching in front of her. 

He joined in; _of course_ he still knew the words. Sadly the song was halfway over when she’d tuned in so their duet was short lived, but ended with both of them smiling and giggling happily. Happiness. True, real, raw happiness; something neither of them had experienced in far too long. 

After another twelve minutes of climbing elevation she was pretty sure they were in the middle of nowhere. If she didn’t trust him so completely, she might be a little freaked out. Just as her resolve to not ask questions threaten to give out, he started providing answers. “When my mom left, my dad took me for a drive and we ended up here.” He lamented on the memory with a mix of sadness and fondness playing on his face as he brought the car to a stop. “This just became a place I could go when things got to be too much or if I needed to think or just needed a break. It’s special and important to me. And secret.” He turned the key in the ignition so the car was off and then looked over at her. “So I thought about how since this was our first real date and no, the trauma group does not count.” They shared a soft smile at that admittance. “I wanted it to be special and different, because we are special and different.” She leaned over to kiss him with that comment, lips parting so tongues could speak a passionate language to one another. As their ardent exchange came to a pass he added, “So I thought why not take my most special person to my most special place for this very special date.” He leaned his forehead against hers, eyes closed, taking a deep breath as if to savor this moment. Other than his father, he’d never been here with anyone else. 

“It’s perfect Arch.” Betty said, honestly overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of his gesture. She didn’t really want some stereotypical first date, because _that_ wasn’t _them_. They _were_ special and different. He got out of his seat and ran around to her side to open the door before she’d gotten it all the way, helping her out of the truck. “My favorite spot is just a short hike up. I brought some snacks and things, thought we could head up there and sort of hang out and enjoy each other’s company?” He seemed almost sheepish in his suggestion, like he was suddenly worried that this wasn’t exactly impressive enough for her.

After all, he had most recently dated a girl with a real princess complex; he never would’ve taken her on a date like this; you couldn’t pay him to. In fact, Betty was the only person he’d ever want to take here with him, of that he was sure. When they were children they went on adventures a lot like this. Something told him, the newest facets of their relationship would make this experience more memorable than those.

She insisted on wearing the backpack if he was going to carry the cooler and have his guitar strapped to his back. They traversed the small mountainside with relative ease, walking a little more than a mile to reach their destination. Once they emerged from the tree line to the small outcropping that had expansive, sprawling views, she turned to him with utter adoration written on her face. “I love it here.” She whispered, as though speaking in a normal tone of voice may somehow mar the beauty of their surroundings. “I love you,” She reminded him, casting him a look of what could only be described as pure longing.

He came up behind her, whispering an‘I love you’ in return, kissing the back of her neck before unzipping the backpack and reaching inside to grab a blanket. He shook it to spread it out and, with her help, laid it out for them to sit down on while observing and enjoying all that was around them. They brought the blanket near the edge of a rocky crag, and for a while, they just sat there in silence huddled close to one another. A second blanket was produced for the purpose of keeping them warm. She draped it over them, snugging closer. His arm around her, her head resting on his shoulder, he decided that this place had become even more special to him; exactly like this.

He played his guitar for a little while, some bits of popular songs he knew she loved, and a couple originals; mostly inspired by her. Then there were times he was just strumming and she would hum along or make up lyrics in that sweet, melodic voice of hers.

He even threw it back to the song in the car they’d been belting together. His acoustic version of “You’re the One That I Want” she was sure had actually melted her into a puddle where she stood. She’d recorded it on her phone and tuned in at “her” parts appropriately. She was sure she would never grow tried of watching that video, or hearing him play, or listening to the sweet lyrics fall from his lips in that melodious way she’d only recently come to know he still possessed. He’d grown out of their performance phase far before she had, and then he had hidden that side of himself for so long. She was happy that he’d found his love of music again and that it was something they seemed to discover and explore together as of late.

When they’d grown tired of that, he’d placed his guitar back in the case and scooted over towards her again so they could lay down. He maneuvered himself a few times, tucking his arm behind her as they leaned back to shift out of seated positions on the checkerboard fabric to lying down ones.

They each lie on their back next to one another, hands entwined between them, eyes studying shapes in the clouds. As they lay there, they _talked_. Really talked, like they used to. They talked about the party, gauging the various reactions of their friends. He recounted some of the things that had been exchanged between he and Jug in the conversation she’d been dying to hear all about. He’d spared her most of the mean things Jughead had said, about both of them. She knew though, that it hadn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Not that she’d expected it to, she just hoped this wouldn’t ruin things between him and Archie, or make their brown haired friend withdraw from their group of friends completely to fall even further down into the endless pit that was being a full fledged member of the serpents. She wasn’t sure how many times she or Archie would be able to reach in and pull him out of his darkness before he was lost to them forever. At least he had Toni, who seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, and would at the very least, look out for him.

They talked about the support group and how they were each eager to return the following week. How terrifying it seemed to share their story to the strangers, yet how exhilarating at the same time. 

Then, the conversation shifted once more. They talked more about Chic, cementing their plans to sneak Archie into her room that night when they returned home. If Alice was letting Betty lock her door, they only needed some carefully timed alarms, a ladder, and for Archie to have better luck than Betty had in the last attempt they’d ever made at using ladders to get in each other’s rooms.

“There is no way we can have sex with my mom there.” She warned, turning to lie on her side, propping herself up on her elbow. She wanted to make sure that wasn’t the only motivation behind him putting in all this effort to get up that ladder and into her window. Deep down, though, she knew it wasn’t.

“I’m a little bit hurt you thought that was my intention.” He responded, changing his own position so that it mirrored hers. He reached over and placed his hand on her upper thigh, curling his fingers into her waist band, tugging her hips closer to his. “It seems you’re the one with the one track mind,” He teased, ducking his head down so he could kiss her tenderly. Now that she’d mentioned sex, though, he was certainly studying her with a more lustful point of view. He licked his lips and then deepened the kiss, his hands drawing her in against him. 

Their exchange soon intensified in passion and if it weren’t for the cool late winter, early evening air around them, clothing would have started to come off. Maybe that had been her intention. After all, she hadn’t been able to properly gratify him for his forward move yesterday. “I guess we should get it out of our system here then?” It was bold, bolder than either of them were used to from her. But how could he say no to such a request? Especially when it was accompanied by the kiss she’d just bestowed upon him; it was one that would’ve left him forgetting his own name if she hadn’t whispered it seductively as they parted, “Arch.” As she tugged gently at his bottom lip with her teeth, she heard an actual whimper escape from his mouth; full of desperate want for _her_ , she knew.

The cold air nipped at their skin, causing goosebumps to form on each of their arms. He pulled her closer to create more warmth and closeness between them. The longer the moment drew on, the more intensely passionate their kisses had become. Until all that remained was a penetrating, longing ache with only one cure. It was a cure not easily achieved in their current location; given the weather. So they’d managed to have self-control and after awhile, but before the sun started to set, they hiked back down from whence they’d come. Albeit, stopping every so often to press the other against a tree and steal a kiss, or stop abruptly in the path to let hands explore parts of the other’s body hidden away by coats.

In the front seat of his truck, before she’d let him leave, she leaned across that bench style seat and used her mouth to make that spot just a little more special to him than it had been before. He’d stared down at her in quiet fascination, until he was dangerously close to becoming undone with pleasure, his eyes fluttering closed. “Betty you have to stop I’m going to—“ But her hand had moved up to cover his mouth silencing his request, finishing the task she’d started; enjoying the way he’d fallen apart at her control. Her cheeks were red when she’d come back up, surprised that she’d done something so forward herself. The way he looked at her, though, made it more than worth it. She cleaned herself up, wiping her mouth and righting her bandana before allowing him to pull her onto his lap, kissing her neck hungrily, riding her of her coat, top, and lace bustier; his lips trailed over her most sensitive of spots with a passionate promise to return the favor she’d just given him later.

The sun vanished completely as they drove back; stopping at Pop’s to grab a bite to eat before preceding the rest of the way, back to their houses. Once things in the Cooper household had fallen silent, they’d set their somewhat preconceived plan in to motion.

Much like a very brave and determined nine-year-old Betty had done those years ago, he’d fetched a ladder and leaned it against her window. She steadied it at the top and held tightly as he’d climbed up to her open window. Once he’d clambered through, he pulled her in for a kiss, his hand falling to play deftly with the hem of the loose fitting tank top she wore. His fingers brushed against warm skin they found there, trailing north to more intimate places, as his lips became occupied by her neck. They stopped only so he could pull the wooden ladder inside, so that it wouldn’t sit out there suspiciously all night, capturing the attention of Fred or worse, Alice. They closed her window and drew the curtains. She took his hands, navigating them deftly in the dark over to her bed, where the covers were already peeled back waiting invitingly for them to get in.

Him tugging his shirt over his head shifted the tone of the room immediately. It was impossible for her not to get a lustful look in her eyes upon seeing such an intrepidly beautiful sight as his chiseled chest and abs. She’d found him just as attractive when he was more lanky than buff; still trying to figure out how to handle his height, arms and legs everywhere. But she could certainly appreciate seeing him like this now. And more importantly, perhaps, touching him. She knelt on the bed, her hands reaching out for his washboard torso, her fingers raking over each ripple in quiet appreciation. It brought them both back to that intimate moment they’d shared in his truck. 

They had school in the morning, so keeping each other up all night was not an option. Still, she knew that they had put their building passions on hold at that scenic overlook on the promise of satisfying them later. They could indulge themselves, at least a little.

Warmly, she leaned forward, her soft full lips pressing a trail of kisses starting at his collarbone and continuing south. Her hands ignored her brains commands and reached for the waistband of his gym shorts, tugging slightly to reveal more of his pronounced hip muscles. She licked her lips, feeling his fingers tangle in her hair and draw her eyes up towards his. His hands moved to cup her face, drawing her towards him, she rose up taller on her knees, her lips crashing against his with a slow purposefulness that seemed to make her ache for him grow rather than satisfying it.

He joined her on the bed then, leaning her back against the pillows, their kisses only seemingly to grow in intense need and want until she was turning her head away if only to catch her breath and gather her wits, remind herself that they weren’t alone. As he hovered over her, trailing kisses down to fulfill his promise of returning the favor, she closed her knees, stopping him in his tracks. Though it brought her an almost physical pain to do so, she whispered huskily, “We should stop.”

He swallowed hard; he knew she was right. They were probably well past the point where they should have already stopped. He just couldn’t help himself, and neither could she, apparently. “Sorry, sorry.” He whispered back, his lips moving more chastely to kiss her forehead before he was moving to lay on his back, extending his arm in an invitation for her to come snuggle. 

“No apology needed,” She muttered, accepting his offer and letting her hand rest on his taut stomach. Her thumb slid up and down hypnotically, tracing a light pattern there.

Suddenly, there was a noise in the darkness that startled them both from their peaceful state. The doorknob was jiggling. Archie sat upright, glancing at the door, his arm coming in front of her chest protectively as she’d sat up as well. The handle was jostled a few times and then stilled. They turned to look at each other; eyes adjusted to the darkness quite well, and shared a concerned look. It was likely Chic, she just hoped he would leave well enough alone and not return to try again.

She wouldn’t get her wish. A few seconds later, the knob was jiggling again but it was louder, as though he was using something to pick her lock. Panic creased her face and she looked at Archie with equal parts worry and annoyance. She rose up to her knees and moved to get out of bed as silently as possible. He grabbed her arm to stop her from walking towards the door, figuring no good would come of her opening it. She didn’t want Chic, or whoever was on the other side getting in, regardless of whether Archie was there or not though. She gave her love a pleading look and squeezed his hand. Much to his chagrin, he released his hold on her and cast her a nervous look. She gave him a reassuring nod in return, padding quietly towards her door. Just as Betty was reaching for the handle, it stilled and she heard her mother’s voice, indicating her presence in the hallway.

“Chic? What are you doing?” Alice spoke clearly and directly; Betty leaned towards the door straining to hear the exchange that was taking place outside her wooden doorframe. Her mother’s intonations had made it clear her assumptions about who was trying to get in had been correct. But why had Chic been so concerned with getting inside her locked room? She hoped her mother might find that out. 

Archie rose quietly from the bed, maneuvering himself with great care around any obstacles on the floor to join her as she listened to Chic begin to explain himself to their mother. “Betty’s door is locked, something could be wrong I’m-“

Alice didn’t let him finish. “She’s fine.” Her tone was firm and the creak of a floorboard in the hallway seemed to indicate she’d moved towards her son. “Go back to bed.” She must’ve taken whatever he’d been trying to use to open Betty’s door, because her voice grew nearer and there were some shuffling sounds before she added, “This is inappropriate. If you don’t give her privacy, you’ll drive her away, you know. Hal has a place now and he told me he has a room for her.” Betty’s eyes widened in the dark at the confession, she wondered if there was actual truth to that or if her mother was bluffing to get her brother to adhere to her wants and demands. She felt Archie’s hand on her waist, bringing her comfort. 

“NO!” The blonde man’s voice was loud, it made Betty wince slightly; startled. “She’s not allowed to leave us!” His voice was almost desperate and then he turned and started to bang on her door with closed fists. “BETTY!” His voice was almost a scream.

“Chic!” Alice’s voice seemed slightly more hysterical than before but still quiet, as if she could somehow balance out her son’s loud volume by keeping hers low.

Betty wasn’t thinking when she moved to unlock the door and fling it open. At least Archie had the presence of mind to realize what as happening and move so he would be blocked by the open door instead of exposed by it. He stood there, ready to come to her defense if need be. Yet, he also knew that Betty was fully capable of handling and taking care of this herself. He didn’t want to reveal his presence in the Cooper house at this hour, especially his _shirtless_ presence, to Alice unless it was absolutely necessary. “What the fuck is going on?” She said abruptly, her volume falling somewhere between her mother’s and Chic’s.

“You’re not allowed to leave us Betty. You, me, mom; we’re a family!” He took what could only be described as a menacing step towards her. “Why was your door locked? What are you hiding?” He took another step, as if he was going to walk in to her room but she moved her body to block the entrance, stopping him.  
  
“I’m not going anywhere Chic, this is _my_ home and Alice is _my_ mother.” She said the word ‘my’ with a very obvious possessiveness as if reminding him that both this place and their mother belonged much more to her than to him, even if it were terrible of her to reiterate those facts to him, especially when he was in such an obviously fragile state. “My door is locked because brother or not, a strange man has moved in to my home and has a propensity for sneaking in to my room to watch me sleep and it freaks me and mom out, okay?”

It wasn’t like what she was saying wasn’t true. But she watched the way he clenched his jaw and his fist as if his outburst may turn violent so more softy, she added. “I love you, Chic. I want us to get to know each other but right before you got here -- a lot was going on. A serial killer was stalking me. That is what put me on edge, it’s not you, it’s my anxiety.” She was so good at lying now, it was scary. Besides, that confession wasn’t entirely false. It wasn’t entirely true though, either. She watched his features soften and she actually moved to hug him. She wanted to diffuse the situation as fast as she could, get back into her room and lock the door, and find comfort once more in Archie’s arms. “I’ll see you in the morning okay? Everything is fine.” She tried to keep herself from being completely stiff in his arms. She felt him relax against her and even though she felt sort of nauseous letting him hold her so intimately, she was happy it would bring this entire ordeal to and end. Chic nodded, pulling back, seemingly satisfied by his little sister’s response. Alice wrapped her arm around his shoulder, casting Betty an appreciative look before guiding him back towards his own room.

Relieved to be done with the situation, she receded back into her doorway and locked it again. Then, she grabbed the chair from her desk and set it under the knob for good measure, turning to find Archie with a rather unreadable look on his face. Obviously he had _a lot_ to say about the situation he’d just watched and heard unfold, but he also knew it was not the time to talk, lest he want to create a new problem for them. He held up his cell phone and shook it slightly, indicating he’d sent her a message. She climbed into bed, trying to lean in for a kiss, but he was more interested in talking; or in this case, texting right now. He turned his head and brandished his phone once again, this time more urgently. 

She obliged, picking it up and staring at the screen. 

**What the hell was that?**

She looked at his message and honestly had no idea where to begin. She looked at him with sad eyes and shrugged. 

_I told you, it’s not a good situation._  

Her reply seemed to frustrate him. He texted back quickly.

**He tried to break in to your room because the door was locked. That’s beyond just being ‘not a good situation.’ Your mom should be protecting you. What do you even really know about this guy? How do you know he’s really who he says he is?**

By the time he was done crafting that soliloquy, she was almost in agony. She’d tried to read over his shoulder but he’d turned the screen away, making her wait what seemed like an obscenely long amount of time. Her heartbeat seemed to falter a little as she read his line of questions. They were ones that should’ve been answered well before she’d brought Chic back here and Alice had agreed to let him stay, no strings attached.

_I don’t know what to say. You’re right, I don’t know. I fucked up royally by bringing him here and now, I don’t know what to do._  

His eyes read the reply at an almost impossible speed and just as quickly, he’d answered back. 

**So, we figure it out together. Like we did with the Black Hood. I told you, I didn’t want you going through that alone and I don’t want you going through this alone either. Let me help you.**

Instead of using her phone to reply, she set it down on the bedside table and then moved to wrap her arms around him, her lips seeking out his once again, but this time he shared her intentions. 

They lay there kissing until they fell asleep. She’d succumbed before him and as he held her there in his arms, his fingers playing absently in her hair even after he’d lost her to slumber, he vowed to protect her from not just Chic, but anyone or anything that may harm her. And dammit, the day she turned eighteen, he _knew_ he’d fulfill that promise he’d made to her at the end of second grade. The pact that neither of them would ever forget stayed at the forefront of his mind even more since their relationship had evolved to new levels that made him long for that reality even more. 

He was going to marry that girl some day. He was going to save her from all of this. And in turn, she would save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly; for an idea of how an acoustic cover of "You're the One That I Want" described in the chapter, please search for Colin & Caroline's version of it. It is so amazing and exactly how I imagine it sounding when they sang it!
> 
> Moving on, I really want to thank everyone for reviewing and sharing their thoughts and ideas, I hope I can do them all justice. I really want to keep exploring the gritty, raw, creepiness that I feel was so strong in the first season. So I will continue to find and play up aspects of the canon happenings into this story. I can't be the only one thought Betty and Archie should've had some major PTSD seeing those 'robbers' in black hoods just like the man who had forced her to bury him alive and had stalked and preyed on them for weeks? I want to find a way to add that in... still thinking of ideas there. In the meantime, how fucking weird is Chic? How come we just trust that he is who he says he is? 
> 
> Okay sorry, I'm rambling. Please tell me what you think about this chapter. What would you like to see in future chapters or would you rather it all be a surprise? Let me know what you think, I just adore reading your reviews. Thank you so much for reading my story!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready, because this is a long, dramatic one! Enjoy!

Easing their friends into this seemed like the best and most tactful option. They didn’t want to go from zero to sixty and risk creating too much tumult amongst their already fragile group. Mostly everyone was excited for them, maybe even a little obtrusive in wanting to know the details of everything happening between them. This included Veronica, who seemed to find utter delight in the discomfort she’d cause them that morning.

“So, when are we scheduling our first threesome?” That had been Veronica’s first question upon seeing them the next morning at school. She should consider herself lucky that Archie had found time to finally return the favor that morning before school and as such, Betty was in an exceptionally good mood, because that comment sort of pissed her off. 

“Not funny… at _all_.” Betty stressed, rolling her eyes and shifting uncomfortably in her seat in the student lounge. 

Archie’s cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. “Ronnie…” His eyes giving her a pointed look, as if to warn her to back off.

“Oh my goodness, loosen up Virgin Mary.” Veronica responded dryly, sort of glaring over at Betty after rolling her eyes, especially at the way Archie had come to her defense. As her choice of nickname so obviously suggested, Veronica wasn’t privy to the knowledge of what happened between Betty and Jughead _that_ night, a night that felt so far away now. “It was only a joke.” She chided.

Betty clenched her hands into fists and shook her head but before she could respond, she heard Jughead’s voice as made his presence known. “Virgin Mary?” The sarcastic laugh that came with that question was daunting. “Oh, Betty, was it that bad you didn’t even tell your dearest friend about our passionate night together?” This elicited a rather overdramatic jaw drop from Veronica. That comment seemed to draw everyone’s attention because suddenly there was a hush in the room. Other than Kevin and Archie, that was news to almost everyone.

It was Betty’s cheeks that turned a shade of red now, though the cause of hers was rooted in a mix of equal parts anger and embarrassment. Again, before she could respond, someone else had. This time, Archie; “Are you serious Jug?” He stood up and crossed towards his friend, who had only just entered the room. “Have some self respect. Shut your mouth.”

“Ah, her knight in shining armor. Trust me, having you defend her like this? She loves it.” It was as though he were taunting her, his eyes found hers and her continued with; “Here comes Archie on his white horse to save the day again. Are you wet yet Betty?”

“That’s enough-“ He started to defend her again, but Betty interrupted this time, having risen from her place on the couch. She placed her hand on Archie’s bicep gently to make her presence known as he stopped talking mid sentence. She moved in front of him, standing in between him and Jug.

“Do you feel better now? Making sure everyone knows we banged?” She said it so casually that she hoped it bothered him. She hadn’t intended to sink to his level or let her own cattiness come out but she was tired of always playing nice and trying to protect people’s feelings, especially when they were so cavalier with her own. So, she decided if he wanted to be a dick, she could be one back.

She turned and regarded the rest of the room. Kevin and Josie were watching the entire thing unfold with great interest from the couch she’d previously been perched upon with them. Cheryl and Toni lingered in a corner; the red head obviously invested in the entire scenario while her counterpart appeared to look completely uncomfortable. Then, there was Veronica, who seemed sort of pissed that Betty hadn’t shared this information. If only she knew why. Archie, who had been joined by Reggie and Moose, shook his head, asking her not to sink to Jug’s petty level, but she couldn’t help herself. “Jughead and I did sleep together, _once_ it’s true. But I’ll let all of you decide how well that went if he and I are hardly even on speaking terms and he feels the need to waltz in here with his obviously wounded pride and air our private business to everyone.” Her heart was racing, slamming against her rib cage. 

As if he could sense her about to spiral, Archie took a step towards her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. That tiny act was enough to bring her back to reality and she kept the slew of awful things just waiting to be said from coming out and instead, stopped her tirade there. She wanted to keep her composure. Instead of being mean or disparaging his performance further she went with, “I really loved you, Jug. And I still really cared about you as a friend. I’m sorry you’re hurt. But, that doesn’t give you the right to disrespect me. We have been through a lot and-“ 

“Save your big speech Betty, just like our dear friend Veronica, I was merely making a joke.” He cut in, interrupting her, his tone dripping with annoyance. Then, he directed his attention to Veronica. “Seems like Betty needs to find a sense of humor.” They shared a sarcastic smirk and as Betty’s eyes passed between them, she felt sick again.

“As much as I love watching Betty squirm, this is all far too gauche even for me to find entertaining.” This time, Cheryl spoke, her tone biting with typical matter-of-factness. “You two jealous toads should at least employ the philosophy of equal opportunity shaming. Why is she getting all the crap while he gets off scotch free?” She cast a very pointed look at Archie. “Totally unfair; and as such, we are out of here.” Then, she looped her arm through Betty’s and walked her out of the student lounge. Cheryl Blossom was the _last_ person she would’ve expected to call her savior, but in that moment, she was beyond grateful for her.

Relief flooded Betty instantly and she felt the tension leave her shoulders as they reached the safety of the hallway. The next words she spoke seemed almost foreign to her; “Thanks, Cheryl.” She couldn’t hide the dejected about-to-cry way that she’d delivered that line and she was surprised to find her companion tighten her grip on her arm as they walked.

“Hold your head up high, Betty Cooper. If the stories are true, you have Blossom blood in you, remember?” Tossing her long, shiny hair over her shoulder with practiced ease, she turned to look at the taller girl. “Besides, it was sort of worth it just to hear you have to thank me for rescuing you.” She added, in a more Cheryl-like way. Despite that, they shared a soft smile before continuing to walk. Out of nowhere, she dropped another truth. “I saw you two. That night in front of Thistlehouse.” Even without providing much detail, it was quite clear what night and what other person she was talking about.

Betty tensed back up immediately, but Cheryl squeezed her arm reassuringly again. “I would’ve already dropped that bomb if I wanted to.” She explained, as if the blonde should’ve known that to be true without her having to say it. “I mean, you kind of deserved the kiss after all these years of fruitless pining over that boy. Do V and J know?” She tilted her head to the side slightly in a way that made Betty a little uneasy. 

“Well, Archie told Veronica when they were still together…” Betty trailed off looking down at her feet. “Go ahead and say I’m horrible for not telling-“

“Actually, I would say you’re right. Judging by the juvenile way in which Greasy McNeedsAShower reacted back there, nothing good would’ve come of that honesty being shared with him.” Cheryl abruptly let go of Betty’s arm and her lips seemed to tense back into a straight line again. “Okay, I’m done being nice to vermin that is beneath me…” Then, shrugging, she turned and walked away as if they hadn’t been in the midst of an almost intimate conversation.

Cheryl’s standing up for her had helped her more than she wanted to admit. Neither Jug nor Veronica had tested her so publicly since and Veronica had even sort of gone out of her way to fix things and make them less weird between her, Betty, and Archie. Jughead had seemed to avoid them altogether, but they were each starting to think that could be for the best. The school week flowed on with relative normalcy. Well, as much normalcy as seemed to exist in Riverdale these day, at least. Which was good, because Betty had enough going on without having to worry so much about her friends’ reactions and feelings.

In addition to the weirdness going on at home with Chic, the announcement of Clifford Blossom’s secret will had become a hot topic around their household too. It also meant Polly had come back and she’d brought the twins. Betty was experiencing a mix of emotions ranging from excited to meet the her niece and nephew, resentment towards Polly for being gone, and curiosity over how her sister would react to their brother. 

With her sister and the babies in town, Archie and his ladder had been forced to stay put at the Andrew’s residence. They still spoke each night as they went to sleep, but it wasn’t the same. Her bed felt empty without him. Sleep was not as easy to find nor that fulfilling once it was eventually found.

With the house so full, Chic hadn’t tried anything weird with her again, thankfully. Polly and Chic didn’t seem to hit it off at all, their interactions were strained at best and hostile at their worst and she’d only been there a couple of days. She and her younger sister shared similar sentiments on the situation with him, but couldn’t help but notice that their mother was completely blind. She seemed incapable of seeing his very obvious creepiness and multitude of glaring flaws. More than that, it was as though she believed any and every thing he said. In fact, it seemed their brother was already poisoning Alice against Polly. It was as though his unhealthy obsession only had room for two.

He’d made multiple comments about wanting Polly and the twins to leave, enough times that Betty had started to grow increasingly worried that he may do something irrational. She’d warned Polly about this, hoping it would spark her sister to act and confront their mother with how she felt, talk some sense into the woman. It had sparked a conversation all right. But their conversation hadn’t gone well. In fact it had ended in Polly angrily shouting about how she was taking the twins somewhere out west, like San Francisco, and storming out of the house with them and her belongings in tow. They hadn’t seen or heard from her since; and that was two days ago. While her little sister was worrying obsessively, her mother was playing it off.

“She makes her own decisions, _Elizabeth,_ ” She only used her daughter’s full name when she was really trying to bother her, it seemed. “If we tried to stop her, she’d just move farther away. She…” She shrugged. “Your brother and I both agree that she is very selfish and self absorbed, she has always put herself above this family. Well, now it’s the three of us. She’s made her choice.” Alice reached over to grab a hand of both of her remaining children.

“Mom she’s—“ 

“She’s MADE her choice, _Elizabeth_!” Chic seemed to imitate the way Alice had said her name and it made her instantly more angry. But when she looked in his eyes, something told her not to talk back or argue, that it wouldn’t be worth it. “Like mom said, the three of us are the only family we need and we are going to stick together and protect each other and we won’t leave each other. No matter what.” He stared directly inside of her as he said those words; at least that’s how it felt. The look on his face sent a shiver straight down her spine.

“She’s still my— _our_ sister, Chic. She grew up next to me my entire life, we-“ 

“Do you have to rub it in, Betty? That she grew up here? That you did? That I was cast off like some not good enough piece of--” His eyes squeezed closed and he stopped himself, as if he didn’t want to go off on some tangent and distract from what he really wanted to say. There was a beat of silence and then, his eyes reopened and he glowered over at her, “Well Polly left. Again. She left and she isn’t coming back because she doesn’t love you and she doesn’t love mom. But do you know who does love you? Who does love mom? _Me_!” His words were meant to sound sweet but they came across menacing. Betty looked over at Alice to see how she perceived this moment but her mom refused to make eye contact with her, which she supposed spoke volumes on its own. 

That was just how things seemed to be now in the Cooper home. Alice took Chic’s side almost to a fault. It was like she thought she owed him something for giving him up and for the way his life had turned out because of that. He sure knew how to lay it on thick, too. It had gotten so bad that Betty couldn’t take it anymore. She’d snooped around in his trash, found some hair in a brush, and sent it off to the lab to be tested. If he was really who he said he was, she’d find a way to deal with him. If he weren’t, then she’d find a way to get rid of him, once and for all.

In addition to Alice seeming to take his side on almost any and all matters, no matter how pointless or trivial, she was also requiring that the three of them eat dinner together nightly, and do things together to bond at least once a week. Mother dearest had scheduled this week’s forced family fun for Friday night. The idea of having mandatory bonding time with her deranged brother and a mother who was probably in the midst of a nervous breakdown was already not appealing to her. But the fact it intruded on her already planned alone time with Archie, had made it even less ideal.

Alice had decided they should enjoy a nice, dressed up dinner at a four star Italian restaurant in Palmdale, about thirty minutes away. Betty had contemplated faking sick to get out of it, but she knew that it was no use. When her mother set her mind to something, it was going to get accomplished regardless of who tried to get in her way. That included Betty. So, begrudgingly, she’d dressed up in the outfit her micromanaging mother had chosen and resigned herself to a night she figured would be uneventful.

If only she could’ve known how wrong she was.

Once his plans with his ladylove had been rainchecked, Archie had been pulled into a guy’s night with Reggie, Moose, and couple of their other male friends, not including Jughead. He had plans to leave when he got a text from Betty saying the coast was clear for him to come over, but figured he’d make the most of his time with his buddies. 

Nights like those usually devolved quickly into debauchery, but tonight had remained surprisingly tame. There were more empty pizza boxes and empty plates littering the living room than beer cans. Most of the guys were draped across couches or on the floor, some in various states of sleep, others still engaged in the epic battle taking place via video game, when Archie’s phone began to vibrate in his back pocket, stirring him from his state of relaxed stupor.

12:08 AM. His bleary eyes shifted from the large projector screen on the wall down slightly and made out the time on the cable box in front of him, before he’d gathered the wherewithal to fumble for his phone. He didn’t even realize he’d been dozing off. Pulling it out of its hiding place, he noticed her name on the screen just before swiping over to answer. “Hello?” He had definitely expected to hear from her much earlier.

There was a beat of silence, then a strangled sob that made him instantly more awake. “Betts?” He asked filled with concern; keeping his voice quiet, sitting up in order to get his bearings.

“We were in an accident.” She managed finally. That sentence was enough to cause his heart to start slamming hard and fast in his chest. “It’s my mom she’s-“ The she was dissolving into tears again, unable to explain.

Archie was up and off the couch, maneuvering over the teenaged bodies that littered the floor, standing as obstacles to the door. “I have to go,” he threw the statement in the general direction of the guys before slipping from the room. He’d already rammed his feet into sneakers and grabbed his keys before having any real information. “Where are you?” 

She managed to croak out the word ‘hospital’ intelligibly enough and he was in his truck and on his way in no time. “You have to get here fa-“ The phone call cut out as he lost service in the heavily forested area the road took him through. He cursed under his breath and sped up, texting her, hoping it would go through. Then, trying desperately to call her again. After several attempts, it finally connected. It rang and rang, but no answer.

By the time he made it in to the ER waiting room, his heart was hammering loudly in his ears. He scanned the room for her, but came up empty. Frantic, he stepped in farther, his eyes moving from the seats to hospital beds not hidden away by curtains. Boy with arm in sling, no. Young pregnant couple, no. His eyes stopped their search; immediately pulled to the right side of the room as he heard _her_ voice. He turned to head toward the curtained area the sound had come from, making a beeline towards it, when he was stopped by a nurse clad in a disheveled looking pair of pink scrubs.

“Whoa, where are you going in such a hurry, bud?” She asked, putting her hands up in front of him.

“I-“ He paused, cast his eyes over to the curtain that hung only about ten feet from him now, “My _girlfriend_ , she was in an accident. I’m not sure what happened. Bet- Elizabeth. Elizabeth Cooper.” His voice came out in such a pathetic stutter; the petite woman gave him a pitying squeeze. Yet, it still wasn’t lost on him that it was his first time using _that_ word to describe her. Even in a terrible time like this, he couldn’t help but notice how natural it felt coming out of his mouth. 

Suddenly, the curtain was being flung back and Betty stood there, her face stained with a mix of tears and blood, her face bruised, a decent sized laceration on her forehead held together by steri-strips. “Arch,” Her voice was hoarse, probably from crying and from the trauma she’d experienced. She’d heard his voice and she’d heard what he’d called her. Just like it had for him, it brought her some small sense of comfort in all the chaos. 

“Betty!” His tone and eyes bore the same amount of concern as he made to move past the nurse to get to her. However, just as he had turned to go past her, she was taking his intended path, her face a mix of worry and annoyance.”

“Ms. Cooper, you must lie down until we get you up to CT and have someone go over the results, please!” The exasperation in her voice seemed to imply that this wasn’t the first time they’d had to remind her of this. She moved quickly towards Betty who was already backing herself up and into the bed, which she hadn’t strayed far from considering she was tethered to it via heart monitor and IV tubing. “Maybe now that you’re here, you can get her to stay put!” The woman said, after helping situate Betty back into bed. Then, the sound of monitors going crazy across the room sent her sprinting away.

Alone at last, Archie pulled the curtain closed once more to grant them privacy then perched himself on the edge of the bed as close to her as possible, studying her. “What happened? Are you okay?” Now that he had a closer look he could see the tiny cuts that littered the side of her neck, and that the entire front of her dress was covered in blood that didn’t seem to be her own. He reached for her hands, her knuckles were smeared with blood and scrapes as well, and he brought them into his own.

“I’m… okay. I’ll be fine…” She motioned to her face, “It probably looks worse than it is.” She noted, squeezing his hands softly in return. She hadn’t exactly had the opportunity to look at herself yet, but she couldn’t imagine it was a pretty sight to behold. “Thank you for coming. They called my dad… he didn’t answer. I… I told them to call FP but I don’t think they did. I wasn’t sure what else to do. I can’t get a hold of Polly. I don’t know if Mom’s going to be okay-“ The tears threatened to fall again, the overwhelming nature of speaking that last part out loud making reality sink in.

“Hey, shhh, come here. It’s all going to be okay,” He promised with a false confidence he shouldn’t have had, especially for someone with such little information about the subject. He let go of her hands and offered his arms to her, opening them to tuck her into a warm embrace. 

She accepted his offering appreciatively, leaning forward to press herself against his strong chest, letting him cradle her head tenderly. She enjoyed his gift of respite for a couple moments before harsh reality was bleeding back into her thoughts. “I haven’t heard anything about my mom since we got here!” She managed, swiping at the tears that escaped even after she’d just gotten herself to calm down. “I’m freaking out!” She gnawed frantically at her bottom lip, until he was leaning towards her, pressing his lips softly to the place she’d previously been destroying with anxious tendency, before capturing her lips completely in a soft kiss that seemed to ground her back to Earth, even if it did taste faintly metallic. 

They each took a deep breath and then he spoke, quietly and encouragingly, “Do you want to tell me what happened?” 

She nodded gently, which sent a bit of searing pain through her head, making her wince a little before beginning her tale. “We were driving home from dinner and mom was telling a story about when Polly and I were little and Chic…he just, he got _so mad_ all the sudden and he grabbed the wheel and he jerked it _so hard_ and I remember screaming and the car was rolling for what felt like forever and then I must have hit my head on the widow…” She swallowed hard, collecting herself. “I think it knocked me out, I’m not sure how long… but when I woke up my head was pounding and it took me a moment to realize I was even awake and it wasn’t just another one of my nightmares-“ She took a ragged bath and squeezed his hands more tightly, as if that would give her the strength she needed to continue. “The car was stopped against some trees. I blinked a few times, got my bearings, and then started to feel like… oh fuck, is everyone okay? Mom wasn’t moving at all…I called out to her and she didn’t answer… I screamed and… nothing.” Then, her eyes narrowed a little. “Chic was just gone. I, I don’t know where he could have been. The car was so fucked up… the windshield was smashed and cracked everywhere. I climbed into the front seat and…” She shuddered, closing her eyes as she recalled the horrific sight of her mother’s blood all over her face and clothes, the lifeless way her body had been slumped against the seat. 

She’d somehow found the ability to check for a pulse and weak as it were, she did find one. “I must have gone for…” Everything was so fuzzy and the more she tried to think, the more her head started to pound. She gave up trying to recall in perfect detail and shrugged once more, “Next thing I remember, we were getting in an ambulance on our way here.” The details were foggy and she couldn’t stitch them all together coherently enough quite yet, but she was absolutely sure that the second she laid eyes on her “brother” she was going to kill him.

As she’d recounted the events to him, his anger had grown, bubbling from the inside and threatening to spill out. He clenched his fist, sharing a similar sentiment to hers regarding how he felt about Chic. He’d never gotten a good vibe from him in any of the times they’d interacted, but now he had nothing but malevolence for the older boy. Impulsive decision or not, his actions could’ve ended Alice’s life. It could’ve ended Betty’s. “I’ll kill him.” That was the only response he could manage at first, in such a ripe emotional state, considering how Betty could’ve died and it would’ve been all Chic’s fault. Then, more gently, reaching for her he added. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” And then, he found a place on her forehead not marred by blood, dirt, or bruise; and pressed a soft kiss there. Then, with less confidence, his eyes searched hers. “You’re okay, right?” 

“I’m alright,” She nodded gently, sending that searing pain through her skull once more, wincing. “And also not okay.” She added more truthfully, leaning back against her pillows. She wanted to sleep, she suddenly realized. She let her eyes close under the weight of heavy eyelids only briefly before the sound of he curtain sliding open and a new male voice interrupted her brief refuge. 

“I’m here to take you up to CT.” The orderly’s voice was gentle enough, but tired, like he’d been on shift for a while now. His hands clasped the handles of a well-used blue wheelchair, obviously meant for her. 

“I’m not going anywhere until they tell me what’s going on with my mom.” Betty said firmly, suddenly very awake. 

The man sighed gently, obviously not interested in a fight about this. Archie knew he was only trying to do his job, but then, he knew Betty should have some rights here too. He decided to try and help, “Look, they were in a really bad accident. She’s worried about her mom, can’t you just see if someone can update us before you take her up there? That’s all she’s asking. She’s not trying to be difficult.” He assured, his eyes pleading, begging the man to let him fix this for her, even in this tiny way. 

The orderly seemed to understand his sheer desperation, because he offered them a compromise. “Give me a couple minutes to see if there is a doctor or nurse around who can update you, but that’s the best I can do.” He parked the wheel chair next to her bed, stepping on the break. “You need to change in to this while I’m gone.” He added, tossing her a hospital gown. Drawing the curtain closed behind him, he headed to the nurses station. 

Before she could put up a fight, he jumped in. “Let me help you.” He said gently, turning to her, picking up the cotton gown from where it lay in a heap on her lap. Too weak to fight him on this, she obliged, leaning forward so he could unzip her dress.

He was so sweet and tender as he helped her out of her once lavender dress, now stained with crimson that would mar and stain it forever. He tugged the zipper down gently and his eyes widened in horror at the much larger bruises he found on her back. He did a better job of hiding his reaction when he found a similar situation on her front side. Once he’d rid her of the blood soaked outer garment, he helped removed the rest of her clothing, then helped her into the hospital gown. They gave each other a couple soft kisses and he held her for a little while as they stood there, seeming to appreciate this small intimate moment, even in all the chaos.

Archie helped Betty into the wheelchair, figuring some level of cooperation would probably get them farther than none. It seemed to tip the luck in their favor because when the orderly returned, a nurse accompanied him. “Ms. Cooper, we have to wait for your father to arrive before-“ 

She didn’t care what pretenses her parents may have been trying to keep up, “He doesn’t even live with us anymore, hasn’t in weeks. The last time my parents spoke, it was about getting a divorce. They haven’t even gotten a hold of him anyway!” Her exasperation grew as she continued, “My older sister left us. My half-brother is the reason we… it doesn’t matter. Look, we are all each other has and you are going to tell me how she is doing, or so fucking helping me,” She wrapped her hands around the plastic tubing that connected her body to large portable apparatus behind her, “I’ll rip this IV out of my arm, get out of this stupid wheel chair, and find out for myself!” Her eyes bore a ferocious determination that spoke volumes of all she’d done to even get herself to this point in the night. 

The nurse swallowed gently, studying the broken girl in front of her with great pity. She seemed to understand though, so she threw her a bone. “Listen, it’s not good, okay?” She squatted down in front of the wheelchair. “Your mom is fighting really hard in there, but she has a great team fighting with her. She suffered some pretty bad neck and head trauma, they had to rush her into surgery, but that is the best place for her right now. And the best thing you can do is to go upstairs, let them run the scans, so that when she wakes up and is just as worried about you, we can give her some good news, okay?” The woman’s voice was sweet and well meaning enough. It didn’t necessarily make Betty feel better, but it did at least give her a little more information than before, and with that, some small piece of mind too. 

“Can he wait here?” She asked, her hand reaching up for Archie’s.

“Someone else may be in this bed when you get back. He can go to the waiting room and we’ll send someone for him when you get back.” She confirmed, and then walked away.

Archie squeezed her hand gently, then, leaning down, pressed one last soft kiss to her swollen, bruised lips. “I love you, I’ll be right here when you get back.” He said gently, then the orderly was moving the IV bag to a post on the end of the wheel chair, before taking her away.

In her absence, Archie called his father to tell him what happened and to ask him to bring some clean clothes Betty could change into if he came to the hospital. He’d also called FP, letting him know only about Alice and not Betty. Perhaps it was selfish, but he didn’t want Jughead rushing here too.

In the time it took for her to return from the scans, both of the men he’d called had shown up, as had Sheriff Keller. The next hour was a whirlwind of her trying to give the sheriff every detail she could remember, he’d sent Chic’s description and last known whereabouts out to dispatch before arriving there, but he was still missing. No one knew he was responsible for the crash, so they were searching for him as a missing or injured person, not a person of interest in what could probably be described as an attempted murder. They didn’t know yet, at least. Even though she knew it would break her mother’s heart, she was looking forward to sharing that incriminating piece of information as soon as it made sense to do so.

The harrowing story of that night was brought more to light when the sheriff disclosed the information the EMTs had left for him in their report. “The car careened down an embankment about 1000 feet before slamming into a tree and coming to a stop. The paramedics aren’t sure how long you were unconscious, but they are sure you saved your mom’s life. You somehow managed to get back up that steep drop off to the side of the road to get cell service and call 911. That’s a pretty amazing feat, not to mention, you did it in a party dress.” He was trying to cheer her up it seemed, so she forced herself to offer him a smile, for his sake more than her own. 

His revelation made that portion of the memory a bit more clear. She did remember getting herself back up to the road when she couldn’t get her phone to go through. She’d hated leaving her mom, but, she wasn’t sure what else to do. That explained the scrapes on her hands, legs, and knees a bit better. “I… remember that a little more now, yeah.” She cleared her throat and cast Archie a pleading look. He sat down next to her on the hospital bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I couldn’t get the call to go through so I told myself I had to get up there.” She blinked a couple more times; remembering how cold it had been. “I’d taken off my jacket and used it to cover up my mom before I realized I was going to venture out there. I fell a couple times but I made it up, faster than I expected. I had to walk a few paces to get service but then I had bars and the call went through. The operator told me to wait on the side of the road for them so they could find us easily. Then, they went down for her when they got there and I sat in the ambulance.”

“You did great, Betty.” Sheriff Keller assured her. “Now, try and remember how the car got down there in the first place. Close your eyes, just walk me through it. Doesn’t have to be in order or make complete sense. Just try and remember what you saw. You were in the backseat, just finished a nice dinner. What did you eat?”

Doing as she was told, she leaned more against Archie and closed her eyes. “Pasta. Gnocchi to be exact.” She noted. 

“Good, okay, what was happening the in the car before the accident?”

“Mom was telling a story and Chic got upset.”

“Why was he upset?”

“She was telling him a story about Polly and me as kids and I think it made him jealous maybe? Like angry that she was talking about that since she hadn’t kept him so she didn’t have stories like that involving him…” She wasn’t sure she was making any sense but the sheriff appeared to be following along, so she decided she was doing a good enough job.

“So then what happened?” 

“He grabbed-“ She was about to tell the sheriff how her brother had been at fault here, that he was the reason her mother was god knows where in god knows what condition; but she was interrupted midsentence.

Suddenly, the curtain granting them their only semblance of privacy was flung open. The nurse from earlier who’d tried to comfort Betty appeared. “She’s out of surgery, she’s asking for her daughter and she is demanding that she not speak to anyone else unless a lawyer is present.”

Answering questions and helping Sheriff Keller was suddenly the furthest thing from her mind. She rose from the bed too quickly, becoming light headed. Drawing her hand up to her temple, she felt Archie come instantly to her side, supporting her by placing his hand around her waist.

“Maybe we should get you a wheelchair?” The nurse moved as though she were going to do just that but Betty’s words stopped her.

“No! I’m fine. I’ll walk. He’ll help me.’ She insisted, knowing that seeing her wheeled in might be the final straw in Alice’s undoing, especially when she was already in such a fragile state.

Archie obliged her and they walked the short distance to the ICU post op area. They would only allow Betty inside, so he waited for her outside of the large double doors, slinking against the wall, finally taking the time to process everything that was happening. In this moment, with no one else around, he let silent tears fall.

Alice somehow looked worse now than she had in the car, which Betty would’ve thought completely impossible if she weren’t seeing it with her own eyes. Before doing anything else, she felt the overwhelming sobs stir inside of her and as she crossed the room to the bed, they found escape. She cried loud and hard, flinging herself delicately over her mom’s frail body, working around the various casts and tubes that ornamented her mother as she lie there in her hospital bed. “Shh, baby girl, it’s okay.” Came the hoarse whisper of the older woman, who lifted her hand to her daughter’s back to comfort her.

“I thought you were going to die!” Betty was in hysterics, it seemed that she’d been able to keep herself together up to this point by the force of sheer willpower alone. Now that she didn’t need to stay strong until she knew what was going on with her mom, her strength had vanished. For the first time in awhile, it was quite clear just how young she really was.

“It’ll take a lot more than that to kill me.” There it was, Alice Cooper’s signature bite, even in a state like this. She beckoned for Betty to get her the water that sat on the movable table attached to the bed. Her daughter obliged obediently, holding the straw to her lips. After taking a few sips, she drew back and said; “Let me look at you, are you okay?”

“I’m okay.” Betty whispered, relaxing into her mom’s palm as it cupped her cheek. “Chic he-“

Fully aware that Sheriff Keller was perched against the wall next to the open door of her room, Alice silenced her daughter instantly. “No, not now.” Her voice was firm but quiet.

“Mom he could have-“

“Betty!” Alice’s tone was warning, even when she was so fragile, she was still fierce. “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, I’m too tired…” Her eyes seemed to communicate the seriousness of the situation. Betty nodded in understanding, despite wanting to talk about this all desperately with Alice, she also knew not to rile her up when she was already so weak. “Have they found him?”

“Not yet.” Betty said quietly, her eyes red and tired. “Sheriff Keller put out an APB with his description so if they find him, they’ll bring him…” She was going to say to the police station, but they didn’t know what he’d done, so they would likely bring him here. The thought made her sick, slightly.

“Hospital?” She finished for her daughter. “He could be somewhere hurt, you know.” The way she said it was as if to make Betty feel guilty for not being more concerned about Chic’s wellbeing. As if he hadn’t been the cause of _all_ of this. Betty thought then, that he deserved whatever had come to him. She was interrupted from her spiteful ideations when her mother more tearfully added, “I just really hope he’s okay.”

Betty stiffened; she so badly wanted to say she hoped he _wasn’t_. He’d been the one to do this to all of them after all. But that wouldn’t help things. She needed to be supportive of her mother, even if she thought she was crazy. “Yeah. Me too.” She said gently. Besides, that statement wasn’t entirely false. There was a very real part of her that wanted him to be okay, so he would have to face up to what he’d done. How he’d purposely jerked the wheel. How he’d meant to endanger them all. How that had almost killed their mother.

“How’s your head?” Alice’s eyes scanned over Betty’s appearance, first observing the wound that marred her forehead. Most of her bruises and scrapes were thankfully covered by what she wore. She’d changed out of the hospital gown and into the pair of sweatpants and old t-shirt of Archie’s that Fred had brought with him when he’d shown up.

“Hurts.” Betty shrugged. “They did some tests, I have a minor concussion, and some bumps and bruises but I’m a lot better off than you.” She whispered, her hand reaching to clasp her mother’s.

“It’s not that bad, Elizabeth.” Alice sighed, trying to down play the seriousness of this. “It’s worse than it looks.” She echoed her daughter’s own words from before.

Betty rolled her eyes, rising from the bed and grabbing her mother’s chart. Despite being full of mostly medical jargon, she could gather the gist of it. “Broken nose….broken neck…three broken ribs… broken left arm and clavicle…. “ She looked pointedly at her mother. “That’s just the stuff I can understand… there is a lot more on here and a lot of these words look pretty grim!” Words like ‘arterial thrombosis’ and ’pulmonary contusion’ left her with unsettling feelings. She set the chart back down and sat once more, moving closer to her mom, sitting at her bedside again. “I don’t want to fight about this, but it’s serious. You need to rest. You need to get better. Who else is going to give this town hell?” She attempted lightness as a way to buy her mother’s cooperation.

It seemed to work. “I’ll rest, eventually. But I also need to know where your brother is, I need to know that he’s okay…” Despite her words, her eyes were fluttering closed again. “Did you look…around the… car for him?” Her words were becoming drowsier and more spaced out as a dose of morphine came through her IV, dulling the pain that threatened the ache all over if the medicine didn’t give her reprieve. 

“He left. He wasn’t just laying there dead in front of the car.” She had no time for pleasantries, she couldn’t understand how Alice would give a fuck about Chic and his wellbeing now, after what he’d done. She supposed that evidenced just how deep a mother’s love could run though. Willing to forgive and overlook even the most heinous of actions. 

Truthfully, she hadn’t even thought to look around for her brother in the immediate vacinity. She’d had a one-track mind when she’d forced herself to get out of the car and abandon her mother, knowing it was her best chance at surviving, if her daughter could get _real_ help. More than that, she just had this feeling that he’d left on his own fruition. She would’ve seen a hole in the windshield large enough for him to fly through if that had been the case. Or, she would’ve found him even if it hadn’t been on purpose, when she’d gotten out and walked around the car to start traversing the drop off to get to the road. She wasn’t sure any of that information would’ve been helpful to disclose. Yet, Alice’s sad, pleading eyes prompted her to add. “Mom, when I got out of the car he wasn’t next to or in front of it. Maybe he…” She couldn’t believe she was actually saying this, but she knew it would mean the world to her mother that she did. “Maybe he’d already gone to get help for us when I woke up.” She watched a soft smile appear on her mom’s face, her eyes lighting up. “I’m sure they’ll find him soon.” She noted, leaning over to kiss her gently on the forehead.

The doctor came in shortly after and gave them the run down on Alice’s condition. She had a lot of broken bones, she’d lost a lot of blood, and she still needed two pretty critical surgeries before she would be out of the woods completely, but they had high hopes for a full recovery. She was in for a long hospital stay though and her fight was far from over even once she’d be released.

Shortly thereafter, Betty said goodbye to her, leaving her to try and get some much needed rest. The morphine drip hooked into her IV line had made her more and more loopy and incapable of actual conversation anyway, so it seemed like the right time to take her leave. The pain meds had helped her welcome that much needed sleep she’d been fighting since getting out of surgery though, so Betty slipped out without feeling guilty for leaving her alone. 

She was surprised to find Archie still waiting for her, slunk against the wall outside the ICU entrance, she’d texted him and told him to head home that she wasn’t sure how long she’d be. Yet, here he still was, waiting for her. His eyes had been closed but when he heard the electronic mechanism in the automatic door engage, he’d looked up as he’d done every time that had happened, but had been pleasantly surprised to find her actually there this time. He offered her a gentle smile, “You didn’t have to wait.” She said gently, stopping in front of the spot where he’d just risen to his feet. 

“I wanted to be here for you.” He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. “How is she?” He asked, worry knit in to his brow. 

“She is in pretty rough shape,” She swallowed hard, her eyes reddening. She was sure she didn’t have any tears left to cry though. “She broke a lot of bones, lost a lot of blood as we saw on my dress earlier, and she still has a couple more surgeries, but she is going to be okay, they say. The doctor told me to go home and get some rest, but I’m afraid that Chic will show up…” She trailed off, exhaustion seeming to catch up to her, causing her to blink wildly to get her eyes to open again. She just wanted a bed. She didn’t want to worry about her psycho brother coming back to finish what he’d started. Thinking that last thought made her eyes open wide again, but before she could say anything else, Archie was providing a solution.

“I’ll stay with you.” When she still appeared uneasy he added, “Or, we can just stop by your house to grab a few things, maybe let you shower, then you can just come to my place. My dad won’t mind, at all.” He whispered, moving so that he could keep an arm around her waist and walk next to her, leading her towards the elevators so they could exit the hospital and head to his truck.

That seemed sufficient enough, she did want to take a shower and her own bed would be nice. Well, really, anywhere as long as he was lying next to her sounded nice. They walked quietly to his car, her eyes practically closing again as he opened the door for her. Instead of getting in, she reached forward and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss. She didn’t care that her lips were cut or bruised; she needed that intimate connection right now. “I love you,” She whispered gently.

“I love you,” He agreed, pulling back to look at her. “This might seem silly at a time like this but…” He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “I… told the nurse you were my girlfriend but then I realized we never actually talked about that and I wanted to ask, officially… if you’d…” He didn’t get a chance to actually articulate the question because her lips were melding into his again.

“Yes, absolutely yes.” She whispered in between kisses. They stayed there for a few moments, the passenger side door opened, his arm stretching over the top, keeping it in its half-cocked position. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, bolstering her body against his. Her right hand still held a handful of his shirt, while her left took up residence at the base of his neck. Even after everything she’d been through, that small question made everything right in her world again, even if only for a small moment.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to take some of what happened in last week's episode and then mostly veer off in my own drama filled direction. I'm not sure how feasible it will be to stay with any more canon details moving forward, but I may slip them in random places! We shall see.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter, I have been planning the accident for awhile, even before the last episode when Chic's creepiness was really highlighted! 
> 
> As always, please review! I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading and responding to all of your thoughts on my story. Thank you for your support!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long. Hopefully I still have some interested readers who want to know how this AU will turn out. Please read and review, I am already working on the next chapter so hopefully it won't be quite so long until another update. Reviews are great motivators! Thank you for readi

The next several days hardly seemed like reality.  The accident set off a chain reaction that no one could’ve predicted, least of all Betty. She hadn’t been in contact with Hal since before the accident despite leaving him numerous voicemails since its occurrence. She found that quite odd, but didn’t have time to dwell.

Alice wasn’t out of the woods yet, she would be in the hospital for the next few weeks to have at least one more surgery and of course, recover from her multitude of injuries. Chic was “missing” as far as anyone knew, which meant that Betty would either have to stay at the Cooper home alone or find somewhere to crash. Being that she was fairly certainly Chic was completely capable of and probably coming back to finish what he’d started, staying alone was far from appealing to her. 

Veronica had offered immediately to let Betty stay with her, as had Kevin, and though she’d appreciated the offers, she’d declined. It was easy enough to say that Archie’s was the most convenient option given it was so near to her own house and much less disruptive to her routine. Plus she could easily get things her mother might need and bring them to the hospital this way. Those were obviously not why staying with him and Fred had been her first choice, but no one dared to pry or allude to anything at a time like this.  

Her friends had done their best to be there for her and offer support. Veronica had sent the most elegant, if not slightly over the top, flower arrangement to Alice’s hospital room. Kevin had scored her a fabulous collared cardigan he’d insisted had been screaming her name at a vintage shop to try and cheer her up. Cheryl had even baked her some cookies that she was pretty sure at least had a non-lethal amount of poison in them. 

Even though everyone was trying to create a sense of normalcy around her, things were spiraling more and more out of control. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take before she finally became unwound. It would’ve made perfect sense if she’d been a wreck, but she was holding herself together with an almost eerie precision. 

Though everyone would’ve understood if she’d completely fallen apart in the wake of the traumatic events that seemed to only keep mounting, it was as if she simply wouldn’t allow that to happen. Perhaps she was just really good at hiding things and keeping them close to cuff, but she had almost everyone convinced that she was handling all of this with ease. Meanwhile, she was holding herself together by the force of sheer will alone. 

Archie had always seen deeply inside of her, even when she tried to hide the truth in these ways. But as their intimacies had grown over the past weeks, he was able to see through her facade even more clearly. Maybe she had everyone else fooled with her pristine appearance and seamless ability to remain her ever attentive and studious self whilst in class; hell she hadn’t even taken a day off of school since the accident. But Archie saw through it all. Her need to uphold this sense of routine was more for herself than anyone else, he’d realized. But as he watched her metaphorically tape and glue all of the broken and bruised pieces of herself back together with make up so expertly each morning, his worry grew. As did his realization of the fact that she’d been doing this for a long time now, not _ just _ since the accident.

The straw that broke the camel’s back would come late one gloomy Thursday afternoon, almost two weeks after the accident, when Betty had stayed late to finish up some articles she’d let fall to the wayside in wake of recent events. Wanting to get things done herself rather than just pawn them off on someone else on the staff, she’d forced herself to stay and write for an hour before leaving and heading to check on her mom at the hospital as had become part of her daily routine as of late. Of _all_ the days to stay later than usual, she’d just _had_ to pick this one.  

While she was typing away in the Blue and Gold office, a hysterical Chic had shown up at the hospital in apparent attempt to show his remorse and make amends with Alice. He was lucky Betty hadn’t been there when he showed up, or he never would’ve made it inside Alice’s room.  

When she did finally lay eyes on him upon arriving an hour later than usual, she felt the bile rise in her throat. “What the fuck are you doing here?” She practically spat the words at him. She absolutely wanted to kill him and proceeded to, in no uncertain terms, tell him exactly that.  

Alice begged Betty to hear him out before she called for the doctors or security. Chic just wanted to tell them the truth, her mother promised. The absolute desperation with which her eyes had pleaded with her youngest child had inevitably made the girl cave, if not against her better judgment. 

Betty agreed to give Chic ten minutes and warned that if he wasted their time or fed them any bullshit, she was going into the hallway to scream for help and then calling the police.The story he’d tell would seem so unbelievable, it could _only_ be true.Chic had no reason to lie at this point, at least that’s how he’d tried to frame it it to them when he started weaving his elaborate tale.   

First, he’d started to explain how a man who he only knew as the Black Hood had contacted him looking for someone named Charles. When he’d spoken that first, notorious name out loud, Betty had to grip a nearby chair for support, her head instantly spinning as fear rose up from her gut. She and Archie had always known that it wasn’t really over; that Mr. Svenson hadn’t been the one to commit all those crimes, at least not on his own. She just hoped that whoever else was involved had hung up their hood after he’d died and would never come back. Her plaguing fears and anxieties hammered at her skull and made her heart tighten. It took every ounce of focus she had to concentrate on his words, her need to know more details the only thing currently keeping her upright.

Chic went on to explain that he wasn’t actually Alice’s long lost son. A fact Betty thought would’ve staggered her mother as much as it did her, if not more, but the older woman’s face remained even and unreadable all the way through his explanation. He went on to tell them that he had known Charles for a time, and how  _ supposedly _ they’d lost contact in the past couple years. Chic was just a lost vagrant, he had no family to speak of and not many possessions either. 

“What are we supposed to feel sorry for you?” Betty had seethed at him as he tried to lay the pity party on thick with those details. Alice gave her a look that implored her to stop and so, she digressed, if only to hear more.

“This Black Hood person seemed really desperate for help and he was willing to pay a pretty penny,” Chic confessed. “So, I guess I jumped on the opportunity. I knew enough about the real Charles to pass and what he described didn’t seem like a bad gig. All I’d have to do was let this cute little blonde girl think she wa saving me, and then hole up at this little house in suburbia and wreak havoc on the family that lived there.” He explained how the Black Hood informed him that his duties would be to drive a wedge between the parents to get the husband to move out, create discomfort and distrust between them and their eldest daughter, and keep a watchful eye over the youngest one and keep him informed of her whereabouts.  

“It sounded like an easy grand, okay?” Betty was shaking her head disapprovingly as he spoke, a grimace on her face.  “I was desperate for money and having a nice place to live and meals on the regular seemed like an added bonus,” Chic added, as if trying to rationalize why he’d done it, as she stared at him, fighting the urge to throw up the entire contents of her stomach Alice still seemed almost completely unphased, perhaps eerily so.

He had tears in his eyes as he tried to absolve himself of the reprehensible nature of his actions, “Listen  _ maybe _ it started off about the money,” He moved towards Alice, grasping one of her hands in both of his own. “But when I got to know you, you were the mother I always wanted and never had. I fell in love with you,” Alice was looking at him with far too much adoration for Betty’s liking. But when Chic shifted his eyes towards her own, she grew even more uncomfortable. “I fell in love with our family.” He tried to reach out to Betty but she just crossed her arms firmly across her chest and glowered at him from a safe distance away, her anger practically tangible. “Maybe I’m not really blood, but after everything we’ve been through together, we  _ are _ a family-”

She couldn’t listen to this bull shit any more, so she interrupted him and raised her voice an octave, “No, you sick fuck- we are not even close to a fam-”

“ _ Elizabeth _ !” Alice bit, glaring at her daughter, aghast. “Can you just-” She gave her daughter an emphatically exasperated look, as if to silence her in favor of letting Chic continue. 

Betty wore her own appalled expression, but stopped talking nonetheless. As much as she wanted to butt in, she did want to hear what he had to say. She was just so furious at how he tried to spin this and make it seem like he wasn’t a completely delusional psychopath. 

After a beat of annoyed silence, the man spoke again. “Look, I tried to get out. I told him I couldn’t hurt you guys anymore; that I loved you. That we had become a real family.” A very grim expression tugged at the corners of his thin mouth. “He laughed at me.” He said darkly, clenching his fist in a way that was eerily similar to how Betty often did herself.  “Then he said if I didn’t keep up the act, he would just kill you both and make me watch. So, I-”

She couldn’t wait any longer, she was going to explode if she didn't interject. Her face was flush, her heart was racing, she was on the brink of a full on panic attack.  “So YOU tried to kill us  _ instead _ ?” Betty had exclaimed, her voice so loud, it practically echoed off the walls of the room. Alice shushed her frantically. More sarcastically, she added; “What, did he offer you bonus money if you did the job yourself?” She was practically shaking, her heart pounding hard against her chest.

Exasperated, Chic spat back; “He was going to kill you anyway! This way, we were all supposed to go together and—“

She wouldn’t let him finish his twisted and delusional justification for his inexcusable actions. “You’re sick. You’re fucking deranged, you need to get out of here and you need to stay far away from us.” She turned her attention from him to her mother. “He’s a psychopath, I’m calling the police-“

“WAIT!” Chic’s voice rose to a level of desperation that caused her to stop. “There’s more okay? There’s more you need to know about  _ him _ about who the Black Hood is and why you both are in grave danger!”

“We’re in grave danger because you tried to kill us and you are a loose cannon clearly capable of _ very  _ heinous things.” Her eyes narrowed with rage and she moved to push past him, done with his games and stories; she was going to get help. But then, he said something that would stop her in her tracks.

“I figured out who he is.”

Her curiosity was peaked and she stopped her hot pursuit of the door handle, her neck reddening in anticipation and increased anxiety. She wouldn’t validate him by turning around, but she’d at least hear him out. “You have five seconds Chic…” She warned, her fists clenched at her sides, nails boring into familiar calloused crescent shaped wounds.

“If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t-“

“Four seconds,” She gave an audibly annoyed sigh and glared at the door, her anger rising. Her heartbeat was practically echoing in her head now, her senses on overdrive.

“Please just  _ promise  _ me you won’t go to the-“

“If you don’t tell me right the fuck now,” She whirled around on her heel and moved towards him so fast, he took a step back and seemingly cowered to her, “The police will be the  _ least _ of your worries because I will kill you my own damn self and” She lowered her voice to a creepy calm,”thanks to you, I know how to dispose of a dead body pretty well.”

He took a beat and stared at her and then over at Alice who was trying to sit up in the bed but the draping of tubes and wires and her state of weakness stopped her from doing so properly. Just when Betty thought her heart might actually explode from the suspense, he finally spoke again. “It’s Hal. Hal Cooper is the fucking Black Hood. There’s your psychopath,  _ Elizabeth _ .”

His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Sure, she’d had her suspicions about her father being at least  _ involved _ in this whole Black Hood thing, but to hear someone else say it? It just made it all more real. To hear how he’d hired someone to move into their family home and essentially stalk them? It made her feel dirty and deceived in a way she’d never felt before. When she looked at Alice she found complete shock written on her face. The older woman was, for maybe the first time in her entire life, rendered speechless.

For some reason unbeknownst to her, Betty believed Chic right away. She didn’t feel the need to ask for proof. _Somehow_ , she just knew he was telling the truth about everything. But, her gut instincts wouldn’t be enough to convince the sheriff or a jury and she’d need Chic’s to have some strong proof if she was going to get anywhere on this. 

“How do you know it’s him?” She asked finally, her voice hoarse.

“The things he asked me about you, it made me suspicious for awhile. We got into an argument about...a disagreement we were having over a...difference of  _ opinion _ .” He danced around the truth. “So whatever, look; I accused him, said I knew it was Hal under that mask.” He launched himself at me and I had no choice but to defend myself, we got into a scuffle, his hood sort of came up halfway and I saw part of his face. He thought he tugged it down before I’d caught a glimpse. He asked me if I’d seen his face and I lied. He told me he would kill me if he found out I told anyone who I thought he was. Who I  _ knew _ he was. But first, he would tell you everything with the three of us had been a lie and then; he’d kill both of you so I just...I didn’t know what to do.”

“Chic, when was this? The whole you looking under the hood thing- before or after the accident?” Alice finally spoke, staring down at the floor and not at either of them.

Chic swallowed hard, “It was three days ago.”

It was there, in that hospital room, slumped against the door so that Chic wouldn’t be able to leave unless she wanted him to, that she’d formulated her penultimate plan to close this Black Hood case once and for all. Chic had agreed to sit down and write a statement he’d swear to in court outlining every detail of what he had told her about Hal, about the Black Hood, and everything in between.  

Alice was begging her to leave Chic alone, for reasons that Betty still couldn’t understand given everything he’d admitted. Especially the part about _not_ actually being her long lost son, but also the fact he’d been working with the Black Hood to spy on them! Which brought them to something else that Alice had warned her not to say anything about, specifically the part about who it was under the mask. She didn’t want anything getting out and ruining their ‘good family name’ unless they had absolute proof that Chic wasn’t ‘confused.’ 

“With all due respect, you are clearly not in the right frame of mind to be running this operation. He tried to kill us and tried to validate it by saying someone else was going to kill us anyway. Did you not hear that?” She hissed at her mother in hushed tones as Chic sat in a chair across the room quietly. “And the Black Hood stalked me for months, called me all the time, knew my schedule-I’m an idiot for not forcing myself to confront this earlier. You have to know that this is true.” 

Alice sighed nonetheless.“Betty, can you please, just take a beat, and let me sort this all out? I want to get ahead of this and figure out an angle.Then, I’ll publish something in the Lodge Ledger-” 

“Mom,” Betty was flabbergasted, “This isn’t some story you can spin- this is real life. We need to go to the cops. He could be out there, planning to hurt someone else right now!” Then a realization seemed to hit Betty because she grabbed her purse from the table and slid it over her shoulder, “Look, I’m mobile, and you are not. You can’t stop me. I’m going to take care of this how I see fit. Your judgement is questionable at best and- actually, I’m not explaining myself to you. This needs to end, once and for all-” And even though her mother was shouting out protests and begging her to come back, she was out the door. She wasn’t sure if she really meant what she’d said, but she felt like she had to get out of there anyway. That room fet stifling. 

She only made it as far as the nurse’s station before she realized she absolutely could not, under _any_ circumstances leave Alice alone with Chic and had promptly doubled back. Much to even her own surprise, she’d arranged a no-questions-asked favor through Jughead to have the serpents keep on eye on Chic for her with promises to fill him in on everything when the time was right.   

Despite any grievances or misgivings Jughead may have had towards her at the moment, he’d agreed to help right away and needed little convincing beyond the desperation and determination in her voice when she’d made the request. Thanks to FP, he knew all about Alice’s condition and knowing how much his father had once (and probably _still_ ) loved the woman, he felt compelled to help in any way he could. So Sweet Pea, Fangs, and some other Serpents she knew by face but not name had shown up to collect Chic from the hospital and take him into their own form of ‘protective custody.’  

Alice had once again begged her not to go to the police for the entire duration of their wait. She even worked herself up to the point that the various machines she was hooked up to had started going off and a nurse had rushed in to check on her. Even with another person in the room, Alice had looked her daughter dead in the eyes and said, “If you go to the police, just know it will be the thing that kills me!” Her words had sent Betty away once again. 

At this point, she knew she’d need to clue Archie into what was going on. More than anyone, he deserved to know everything she’d just learned; for more reasons than one. Perhaps, more selfishly, she knew she needed him right now as she was dangerously close to falling apart. Knowing it was going to be a painful conversation, she decided it needed to be done in person rather than on the phone.  

While she’d waited for the Serpents to arrive, she’d texted him that she was going to be on her way home shortly, but nothing more that might indicate something huge had just gone down. As such, he had absolutely no idea what had come to pass in the few hours since she’d kissed him goodbye after school that day. 

 Driving home had been done completely on autopilot. She was barely even in touch with reality, much less aware of her surroundings. She was probably lucky she’d made it to the Andrews’ in one piece. She hadn’t even realized she’d been sobbing the entire drive home until she’d entered the family home and both Archie and Fred had rushed over to her, with concern etched into their faces, both rising frantically from where they’d previously been sat on the couch together. 

“Betty, what’s wrong?” Archie’s voice distraught as he gathered her into his arms. She’d barely even made it through the door before she was practically collapsing onto the floor. Fred was trying to quiet a spazzing Vegas who was barking and jumping around, obviously concerned about Betty as well. The older man ushered the dog into the kitchen and went to get Betty some water while Archie tried to calm her down and figure out what was going on. Knowing she had just come from the hospital, his stomach dropped, had Alice- he wouldn’t let himself finish the thought. “Is it your mom?” He asked, his voice thick with emotion, almost fearing her response.

Unable to articulate actual words yet, she shook her head no, hoping that did enough to indicate that it wasn’t something that had gone wrong with Alice- at least not health wise. Gripping the fabric of his shirt and burying herself in it as though it might give her the strength to continue, she sobbed openly. He helped her up and guided her to the living room to sit on the couch where Fred joined them and gave her the glass of water, exchanging a concerned look with his son.  

Archie helped her take some deep breaths and sips of water and after a little while, she was mollified enough to voice actual, coherent thoughts. “I don’t even know where I should start,” Her eyes were stinging and red and the more she wiped at them, the worse they felt. Her boyfriend brought his hands up to her wrists, tugging her hands away from her eyes. He leaned forward and without thinking or considering the presence of his father, he’d leaned in and kissed her. The action was, as intended, instantly grounding for her and seemed to pull her out of the dark depths of despair she’d been swallowed up by. 

As his lips pressed to hers, parting her own wantonly, it was as though he could literally breathe the strength into her. He kissed her slowly and sweetly for a little while before drawing back hesitantly. “It’s okay, just take your time, babe.” He’d said soothingly, leaning his forehead against hers. 

“It’s not okay, it’s really not okay,” She replied, drawing back to look at him, exasperated. Because, it wasn’t okay; it would never be okay. Her father had almost killed Fred. The thought made her turn her attention to the older Andrews’ man. “I’m so, so sorry Mr. Andrews. I had no idea it was him, I really didn’t. But it all makes sense now-” She took a ragged breath, realizing neither of them would understand what she was babbling on about until she revealed the  _ whole  _ truth. “I’m sorry- I know I’m not making any sense.” She closed her eyes and took a fatigued breath, “Let me start over.” A few more sips of water seemed to help her continue so she looked between the two men and started again. Even knowing her mother would likely want to break her neck for telling them, she couldn’t stop herself. She’d kept everything in for too long now.

“Chic was at the hospital when I arrived this afternoon,” She sort of regretted not having told Fred about any of this earlier. He probably would have honestly been able to help, but she always wanted to handle things on her own and Alice had begged her not to. Her mom always seemed to making rather toxic demands of her, especially lately. Still, she knew the difference between right and wrong. At some point, she had a responsibility to grow a backbone and stand up for herself. Maybe that’s why she was doing this now.

“Mr. Andrews, I guess I should explain that my mother and FP Jones had a child back in high school that was put up for adoption through the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. I, in a move of blind stupidity, recently tracked him down and brought him into our lives to try and help my mother cope with some other…” She sighed at herself,trailing off; she was going off on a tangent.  

“Anyway- it turns out he was  _ not _ who he said he was and also that he was the one who caused the accident the other night. He even admitted that he’d tried to kill us that night!” She was getting ahead of herself so she took another collecting breath and rewound. “Anyway, my mom, still believing he was her son, didn’t want me to tell anyone, much less the cops, because basically she refused to admit that he had done it on purpose. So I kept the secret and I thought I’d be able to find him on my own and bring him to justice or something-” She could almost laugh at herself. “I don’t know what I was thinking- maybe that’s the problem, I don’t think I actually was.”

Fred reached over and pat her knee gently. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Betty. You’ve been under a lot of pressure these last few weeks. You were trying to do right by your mom, who frankly, put you in an unfair and impossible situation, especially for someone your age; with all you’ve been through,” He tightened his jaw, trying to stop himself from saying a bad word against Alice, an instead offered her a sympathetic look, “Why don’t you take another sip of water and keep going.” He encouraged.

 Archie was sitting as close to her as humanly possible, his hand stroking her back gently. “Chic was at the hospital and he started telling us about how he wasn’t really my brother. How he was an imposter, hired by-” She could barely bring herself to say the words. Nausea overwhelmed her as she spoke, squeezing her eyes closed, “hired by the Black Hood.”  

Both Andrews men would be stunned by those words and they seemed to take a collective breath that sucked the air out of the room. Neither of them had been convinced that Mr. Svenson had been the original shooter, but Chic had come to town after his death, which meant that either there was a new imposter or perhaps that Svenson had been the imposter and the  _ real _ Black Hood was still at large and lying in wait, planning his next attack; biding his time to finish what he’d started.

Before they could ask anything else, she was adding more. “Chic is a psychopath. He said all sorts of crazy things tonight, but one of them, I just can’t get out of my head. It had to be true. He said-” Her eyes welled with tears because she was afraid the next words out of her mouth might cause the two men on either side of her, the ones she truly considered her family, to want nothing to do with her. She couldn’t be sitting between them while they offered her comfort. Not while she said this. Rising from the couch, she moved to stand in front of them instead, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. “He said that the Black Hood is,” She stumbled over the words. “... it’s my dad.” 

The sobs came again and she buried her face into her hands, hoping that they wouldn’t hate her for her connection to the man who had almost ended Fred’s life. It didn’t feel right seeking comfort in Archie’s arms right now, even though he’d instantly risen to pull her against him. An agonized look on his face as he watched her heart breaking, knowing there was nothing he could do to help her right now. She’d resisted the offering of refuge and moved away before he could fully pull her against him. “I should probably go. I am so, so sorry for what he did to you…” She said, unable to look at either of them, wishing she could just disappear.

As she made a beeline for the door, Fred’s words would halt her. “Betty, wait just a second.” His voice was so gentle, so devoid of the anger or resentment she feared he might feel for her in this moment. “Son,” He nodded at Archie as if urging him to go to her; he obliged instantly crossing the foyer, wrapping his arms around her from behind, and this time she didn’t resist. “We would never blame you for any thing that he has done.” Fred assured, “We love you. This is not your fault.” He added, seriously, hoping it would get through to her. The idea that this sweet, innocent girl could ever think they would hold her responsible for what her father had done broke his heart a little. She did not deserve to carry this burden.

But it was more that all this had happened under her nose; self proclaimed Nancy Drew 2.0, and she had no idea. She turned around, still in Archie’s arms, but facing him now. “I was living with a serial killer and I was oblivious.” Then she turned to look at Fred, “The man who shot you was right next door for months afterwards and none of us knew-”

“Exactly,  _ none _ of us knew, Betty. It wasn’t just you. Your mom slept next to him, she had no idea either.” Fred assured her, “Not to mention,it was not your responsibility to find out who it was. You and Archie went through enough. Your father is a master manipulator, you saw what he wanted you to see. We all did. He fooled everyone. It is not your fault, okay?” 

He was saying all the things she needed to hear, but she still wasn’t sure she deserved them or that they were true. Still, the words washed over her and with them, slight relief. She found herself leaning more against Archie’s tall, strong frame for support. “Thank you,” She managed, giving Fred a long look of appreciation before stepping towards him and taking the hug his open arms offered her. “I’m so sorry,” She added again, whispered words finding a home in the layers of his flannel shirt.

“Shhh,” He soothed back, stroking her blonde hair gently. “You have nothing to apologize for. We are all going to get through this, together, alright sweetheart?” He drew back, his hands on her shoulders, looking at her. “Maybe we should call Sheriff Keller, I’m sure he’d swing by the house, you can tell him what you told us and-”

Fear rose in her; even laid up in a hospital bed, Alice’s foreboding personality was able to inspire such a response. “My mom doesn’t want me to tell anyone, not yet at least.” She wasn’t even really sure why she cared what Alice wanted, but she was growing more exhausted by the second and the emotional taxation she’d experienced in the last few hours had truly drained her. “She’d probably kill me if she knew I told you,” The words slipped out before she could soften them up a little. 

Fred’s brow knit together in concern. “You could be in danger. She can’t reasonably expect you to deal with this on your own.” The more he looked at the sad, broken girl in front of him the more concerned he grew. He’d known Betty all her life practically; and he’d never seen her like this. It was like all the spark and light were out of her, and what stood before him was a sad, scared, shell of her former self. If her mother wasn’t going to make sure she was taken care of, then he’d take it upon himself. By any means necessary. She was in no condition to deal with all of this stress. “You should lay down for a little while, okay? Archie will take you upstairs. You can finish telling us what happened after you’ve had a chance to collect yourself and we’ll figure out what to do about all of this.”

It had been so long since she’d experienced an adult voice of reason, that it almost felt foreign to her. She nodded, seeming to accept all of what he’d said, and realized that at some point his gentle words of forgiveness had helped her to stop crying. She turned back to Archie, who she suddenly considered had stayed starkly silent through this.  _ That _ worried her in a way that threatened to make newly stopped tears begin to fall again.

Nevertheless, Archie stepped towards her almost instantly, placing his hand on the small of her back. He guided her up the stairs and into his bedroom where he’d closed the door behind them. She could barely turn to face him, afraid that she might find all those feelings she was terrified he’d feel towards her written on his face.  

Of course, she found none of that. “I’m so sorry, baby.” He whispered, drawing her against him. His silence had been born of not knowing the right things to say to try and fix the situation she’d found herself in. He could only imagine the unsurmountable pain she was feeling. The guilt over Fred was just another layer and it was one she needn’t put on herself, really. As his dad had said, no one could ever blame her for this. “I love you so much, no matter what.” He felt the need to add, to assure her that hadn’t changed given her new revelation. 

“I love you,” She whispered tearfully, allowing herself to find respite against his strong, warm, henley clad chest. She relaxed against him, the warmth of safety rushing through her as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. He helped her to lay down on the bed and spooned himself behind her, holding her close.

 Try as she may, she just couldn’t relax. She felt stiff as a board against him, and it seemed each of her muscles was tensed, her whole being stressed beyond repair. In a matter of months, everything had come crashing down around her. She was fairly certainly she was on the literal edge of a total mental breakdown and she wasn’t exactly sure what to do to stop herself from teetering over.

With a sigh, she turned around to face him, leaning up to kiss him gently before she spoke. “I can’t just lay here. I need to do something. Go and confront him maybe;” 

“Betty, you absolutely cannot-” The way she glared at him made him reconsider his word choice. “ _ Please _ ,” He amended, “don’t try and do that. It can only end terribly.” He pleaded with her and when she didn’t seem convinced, he couldn’t help but add, “Just consider what he’s capable of-”

“I will never forget what he’s capable of, not as long as I live.” She cut in, her tone both sad and somewhat annoyed. He’d backed off immediately, but the damage was done, she no longer wanted to feel this close to him, at least not right now. In all fairness, she didn’t particularly want to feel close to anyone right now, it wasn’t just him. 

She knew he was right, but it didn’t make her urge to confront her father lessen any. Trying her best to fight the compulsion to do something completely asinine, she’d instead gotten up from the bed and moved to stand in the center of the room, “I never should’ve told your dad what was going on. He has a hero complex, just like you.” It wasn’t a criticism, just an observation of how similar they were, really. “He’s going to try to fix this and inevitably make it worse-” As if on cue, a soft knock sounded at the door and then the knob turned and it opened.

“I am going to go to the hospital and see your mom, Betty.” The way her face fell immediately, Fred faltered before continuing. “Listen I know you’re afraid of how she’ll react but she isn’t thinking clearly. I’m just going to try to talk some sense into her.”

“With all do respect, Mr. Andrews; have you met my mom? When she makes up her mind about something, there’s little you can do to change it. She doesn’t handle criticism well, either, okay? If she thinks you’re attacking her or telling her you know better, she’s just going to lose her mind on you. And when she blows up, it’s almost always on a nuclear level.” She took a breath and crossed her arms confidently, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do this.” 

“With all do respect, Betty; you can’t stop me. Someone needs to protect you. If she wants to be mad and lash out at someone, it can be me. I’m sorry, but, I’ve already made up my mind. Please, stay here with Archie and just trust me that I have your best interest at heart here and that  it’s going to help.” Before she could really protest any further, he was already turning to leave.

“Mr. Andrews, please. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions-” But it seemed her words were falling on deaf ears because he was already descending down the stairs. She cast Archie a pleading look.

Despite knowing there was little he could say or do that might persuade his father, he knew he had to try, for her sake, so he got up and went after him. “Dad, please. Betty doesn’t think it’s a good idea-”

“Son,” Fred was already to the bottom step. “I’ve made up my mind.” His voice was firmer and more authoritative than usual, gruffer than his son had ever really heard it before. Something in that tone made Archie know there was no use arguing. He turned back up towards the landing were Betty stood, tears in her eyes. He was caught in an impossible situation at the moment.

“Mr. Andrews, please!” She called tearfully after him, heading down towards Archie, knowing her request was of no use.

Her plea did cause him to take one long, sympathetic look at her, but it didn’t change anything. “I’m sorry, Betty. I know it may not seem like it now, but it’s for the best.” And then, he was gone, locking the door behind him, as if that might be enough to keep the darkness away from them.

Dread filled her instantly. “Arch-” She said woozily, drawing her hand up to her brow.  

In a flash, he was right beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Betty I-” He wasn't even sure what to say. He  _ was _ sorry she was scared and upset. But he  _ wasn’t _ sorry that his dad had gone to confront Alice. Someone needed to. Fred was right, they needed to protect her. “Everything’s going to be okay.” He just hoped he wasn’t wrong about that.

All they could do was wait, he tried to get her to eat, but she said she wasn’t hungry. He figured she was probably just in shock. They’d tried to lay down again and he’d rubbed her back. She’d closed her eyes and tried to find at least some sliver of relaxation, but couldn’t. Despite his arms being the safest, most comfortable place to her normally, she felt neither of those things at the moment. She felt empty. And even this close to him, she felt alone. It terrified her. Was she officially broken beyond repair?

About an hour after Fred had left, he called Archie. He’d told him to bring Betty down to the hospital, that Sheriff Keller was on his way; Alice had agreed to tell the police everything- she wanted to turn Hal in. 

Betty was still numb as they headed to the hospital; vaguely aware of his warm hand on her thigh as he drove them there in her car. “This is a good thing,” Archie assured, he couldn’t help but feel optimistic. His dad’s plan had worked, Alice agreed to go to the police. This was going to end, once and for all. 

“Too good to be true, probably.” She muttered bitterly in response, not convinced in the least that her mom didn’t at the very least have some sordid ulterior motive at play here.

When they arrived, the sheriff was already there waiting with Fred and Alice. The way her mom narrowed her eyes at her as she entered the room was anything but loving. She grasped Archie’s hand tightly and moved to sit in the chairs that Fred had motioned them towards. 

Over the next hour, each of the Cooper women recounted in grave detail, everything that had transpired with the accident, with Chic’s revelations about the Black Hood, and Betty had even handed over every piece of evidence she’d collected when she’d been investigating the serial killer, long before she’d ever considered it could be Hal. The experience was traumatic, to say the least. Dredging up  _ every _ sordid detail of the past few weeks was raw, rough, and made her ache all over. She just hoped it wouldn’t all be for nothing. They had to catch him, to bring him to justice; only then would she feel safe.

Convinced they had at least enough to move in on him, the sheriff had put together a crisis response team to head to Hal’s apartment and take him in; or take him down. Complete with SWAT gear and search and rescue dogs; they’d swarmed the modest one bedroom apartment gallantly. 

Disappointingly, instead of finding him, they’d found his apartment completely empty – except for a typed copy of his manifesto sat upon a single child’s rocking chair with Betty’s named carved into it. The thick, handwritten memoir of a sadist outlined each of his crimes (and subsequent justifications for committing them) but other than that, there was absolutely no sign of him. He was gone, seemingly without a trace. 

Archie and Fred had stayed with her in Alice’s room while the team had moved in on Hal. The sheriff left behind one of his deputies,who would be their point of contact to let them know when Hal had been taken into custody. The tension of the room could’ve been cut with knife as they waited and waited, but no news came.

Until finally, it did. No one was expecting the bad news the fresh-faced deputy would remorsefully tell them. Hal Cooper wasn’t in custody; he hadn’t been at his place and was likely on the run- armed and dangerous. His intentions, like his whereabouts, were unknown. The sheriff was going to hold a press conference early the next morning, announcing a city-wide curfew would be in place indefinitely while a manhunt was conducted.

By the late evening news slot, the story had broken. The next morning, his name and face had been plastered all over the news and around the city of Riverdale. Hal Cooper was the Black Hood and he was at large. Pages of his manifesto were photographed and splayed on the screens and taped to various poles and walls in downtown Riverdale as well, revealing bits of the dark and twisted way his mind worked. How he’d set out to cleanse the town of its sinners. How the citizens of this “great town” should  _ thank _ him. 

She’d gone home with Archie and Fred, but hadn’t gotten any rest. In Archie’s defense, he’d done his best to stay awake until she’d fallen asleep. He’d traced soft patterns against her back until his breath had become heavy and she felt his strong frame slump against her own, succumbing to slumber. ‘Good,’ she thought to herself, he was probably just as exhausted as she was at this point. At least one of them was able to find respite. She willed herself to sleep, but it wouldn’t come. Too many thoughts and worries plagued her head and heart. It seemed like she’d never rest again, at least not peacefully.  

When his alarm was blaring the next morning, he reached over her to silence it, surprised to find her already sitting up beside him, obviously awake already. After hitting the off button on the offending object, he leaned back against the pillows; recollections of last night coming back to him all at once with sobering, stark clarity. He looked over at her sadly, expectantly. “Did you get any sleep?” He asked quietly, afraid he knew the answer, based on her seated position and the dark circles under her eyes.

“I’ll be fine.” She stated simply, circumventing his question, tossing the covers off as if to stand up but he stopped her, tugging at her arm as she finished saying, “We should get ready for school.”

He gave her a long, hard look; doing his best to choose his words carefully. He pulled her down next to him and bit nervous on his bottom lip as he looked at her with quiet contemplation. “Bets, I think we should take the day off- yesterday was a lot. Look, you’ve been through a lot in general lately. No one expects you to-” 

“Life goes on Archie. I can’t just stay in bed sad for myself because-” She couldn’t bring herself to actually say it. “I just think it’s better to try and be as normal as possible.” 

Again, while he could understand where she was coming from, he just couldn’t agree with her plan of attack. She’d simply gone through too much lately to try and just carry on like everything was normal. She needed a break from reality and routine to fully process all of this if she had any hopes of _actually_ dealing with any of it. He had a sneaking suspicion that was _exactly_ what she was trying to avoid doing. “We could call Maureen,” And then in case she didn’t realize who he was referring to he added, “You know the grief counselor from-”  

“Yes, I remember who Maureen is.” She tried not to be annoyed at the suggestion, she knew he was only trying to be sweet and helpful, she just wasn’t in the mood for optimism at the moment. “Look Arch, I know you’re just trying to help but, I need to deal with this in my own way and-”

 “No offense, babe but it seems like your way of ‘dealing with it’ is to just not deal with it at all.” As soon as the words left his lips he regretted letting them out.  

“Offense taken.” She sighed, rising from the bed with a scoff. Grabbing a neatly folded outfit out of the suitcase she’d packed days ago when she’d first started staying here, she headed towards the door. “You do what you want, I’m going to school. If you need the day to process your feelings, take it. This is how I’m dealing with it and if you don’t understand,” She gave him a long contemplative look and then acquiesced, adding “Well, I’m sorry but,I really don’t care.” And with that, she disappeared into the hallway, closing his bedroom door behind her with a huff. 

When he heard the bathroom door open and close, he resigned himself to getting himself up and ready too. If this was what she wanted, he’d go along with it, even if he didn’t necessarily agree it was the best approach. Changing into a pair of jeans and what he hoped was a clean t-shirt, he grabbed his letterman’s jacket off the back of his chair, as well as their backpacks, and headed downstairs. There, he found Fred in the kitchen, standing in front of the coffee pot, waiting for it to finish brewing. “Dad,” He greeted, entering the room.

“Archie, I wasn’t expecting to see you up so early after everything last night. You know, if you two don’t want to go to school today, it’s probably for the best for Betty-”

 “Betty insists on going. She said sticking to her normal routine would be best. And she got sort of pissed when I suggested otherwise, so maybe you should avoid saying anything like that to her when she gets down here.” He suggested, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms across his chest. 

Fred sighed, afraid she might react like this. She had her mother’s propensity for trying not to let anyone see anything from her that could be perceived as weakness. “She’s been through a lot, and is overwhelmed right now. If she lashes out at you, I wouldn’t take it personally.” He advised his son thoughtfully. “All you can do is be there for her.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wish I could do more than that. I wish I knew some way to help her.” He sighed, more frustrated by that than anything else. He knew there was  _ nothing _ he could do right now that would make this better, but fuck if he still didn’t want to try to find a way regardless. Maybe he did have a hero complex, but it was only because he longed to protect the things he loved and dammit if she hadn’t always been number one on that list. 

The pot of coffee rumbled as it finished brewing, pulling him back to reality. 

Fred poured himself a cup of coffee and offered one to Archie who accepted gratefully, doctoring it up to his liking and letting the warm liquid awaken his sense. He was only working off a couple hours of sleep himself and the caffeine would help him face whatever the day had in store for him, at least he hoped. He could tell his dad wanted to talk more, but he appreciated that he was granting him the much needed  moment of silence instead.

When Betty entered the kitchen a little while later, Archie offered her a cup of tea he’d fixed the way he knew she liked and she actually smiled when she accepted it. Taking a long sip of soul-warming chai, she addressed him. “Hey, my mom called while I was getting dressed. She wants me to come by the hospital this morning to talk before school. It sounded urgent”

“Okay, I’ll drive you.” He offered, and then seemed to look at his dad to ask for second-hand permission for what he’d already clearly agreed to. Thankfully, the older man nodded his concession to the plan.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to be late for school.” She offered feebly, knowing full well that factor would never deter him from going with her.

“Betty-” His tone was terse, bordering on irritated. “I’m taking you.” And then he shifted off the counter and moved towards her.

She wasn’t intending to put up a fight, truth be told she wanted him there, but the dismissive way she’d treated him that morning left her feeling slightly guilty and on top of all the other negative emotions swarming around her, she could hardly handle herself. Once again, she didn’t feel very deserving of the absolutely pure and all encompassing love of Archie Andrews. Here she was, trying to drive him away again.

“Okay,” She conceded finally and then, taking a deep breath she added. “Thank you both for everything last night.” Turning to Fred she added, “I’m not sure how you convinced her to go to the police but, I’m sorry for doubting you, Mr. Andrews.” Though she was being sincere, her words seemed slightly manufactured; rehearsed. Like she didn’t actually believe them, even as she spoke them aloud. “You two are always here for me when I need you and I hope I can repay you somehow for everything you’ve done-” 

“You’re family, enough said.” Fred shrugged, moving to hug her gently. It was his way of reminding her that they didn’t expect or want anything from her in return for the kindness they were happy to show her. “Listen I’ve got to head in to work, check on our new jobsite, but if you need anything. Just call.” He looked back and forth between the pair of lovebirds as if to emphasize he was talking to both of them.  “And Betty, while you’re admitting I’m right about things, can I just suggest that after you go to the hospital, you come home and take the day to process things?” He added wisely, “At least consider it.” He requested, before drawing back and clasping Archie on the shoulder affectionately and exiting the room to leave the house.

Now that they were alone she felt compelled to apologize to him for her earlier snippiness, “Listen, I’m-”

But he wasn’t having it. With a smile, she interrupted her,  “You’re family, enough said,” He reiterated his father’s words, drawing her against him, kissing her deeply. “Let’s go see your mom,” He muttered finally against her lips, finally breaking the kiss after some time. 

Driving to the hospital, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feelings inside of her. Bogging it down to general anxiety, she tried to shove it down like she normally did and ignore it. But as they walked in to her mother’s room, she quickly realized that looming sense of uneasiness was a warning she really should have heeded more seriously.

“Oh good, she’s here.” Alice intoned to whoever was occupying the pair of chairs adjacent to her bed as her daughter entered the room. “I didn’t realize you’d be bringing Archie- be a dear and wait in the hall please, sweetie.” She instructed, but Betty grabbed Archie’s forearm firmly, keeping him there beside her. He hadn’t intended on leaving anyway, especially not before finding out who Alice was talking to. 

“ _ Elizabeth _ ,” Alice began, with that typical hint of patronization. “This is a family matter.”

“Archie is family,” She replied harshly, eyeing the pair of strangers who’d risen from their chairs they’d previously occupied before she’d entered the room. “They on the other hand, are not. So…”

“Betty, this is Sister Livingston and an orderly from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, they’re here to take you there and keep you safe until your father is found.” As Alice spoke, the hair on the back of Betty’s neck started to rise. Archie stiffened next to her, now on high alert. 

“What? No. I’m not going anywhere.” She said defensively, tightening her grip on Archie’s arm. 

“Betty, please, don’t make this difficult.” Alice said with narrowed eyes, turning towards the orderly and nodding. The man took a step towards Betty and Archie and they took a step back simultaneously. “Betty,” Alice warned again, this time, more annoyed. “As your apparent choice for Parent-of-the-Year, Fred Andrews so  _ kindly _ shoved down my throat yesterday, your safety should be my top priority. So, I’ve made it  _ just _ that. What could be safer than staying with the Sisters?”

“Are you insane? Are you trying to get back at me for telling Fred and Archie?” She was absolutely incredulous. She knew her mother was crazy, but this was sociopathic behavior. “You can’t make me go with them!” Betty’s eyes were watering now, and her words were more of a plea she knew was probably useless, so she turned her eyes away from her mother and stared desperately at Archie. He seemed to be reeling from all of this too, and completely unsure what exactly they could do to themselves out of this mess.

“ _ Actually _ , I can. As your mother and legal guardian I have full rights to decide what is best for you. Now Archie, let go of her or I’m calling security in here and having you removed.” Alice’s words seemed more like a promise than a threat.

Archie felt utterly and completely helpless. He knew that Alice was right, as Betty’s mother she could decide this. But as her boyfriend, hell as her best friend, he couldn’t let this happen. The Sisters of Quiet Mercy didn’t protect or help anyone. He couldn’t let her go there. “Betty,” He whispered, sad and desperate. Though he knew it wouldn’t do much, he stepped in front of her, putting his body between her and the pair of strangers. 

The act of bravery, as touching as it were, was enough to draw her to the very real conclusion that there was probably no way out of this that didn’t end with her going with these people. It seemed more of a question whether or not she’d let Archie go down trying to stop the inevitable.“Arch,” The tears fell now and she knew this was all for naught. “Call your dad, okay? He will help-” His eyes pleaded her not to go on.

“Use the medicine,” Alice was instructing and with that command, Sister Livingston, who was standing behind an empty wheelchair obviously intended for Betty; took a small black case out of the bag on her arm and handed it to the orderly. Unzipping it, the man took out a needle and a smile vile of some clear liquid. It made both Betty and Archie’s eyes go wide.

“Mom, please!” Betty’s voice was hysterical now, unable to take her eyes of the man who slid the pointed end of the needle into the vile and extracted what seemed like far more than necessary of whatever clear liquid was inside. Archie stood more confidently in front of her, sweeping her body behind is protectively, if not fruitlessly so.

“Archibald Andrews, move out of the way.” Her mother barked, ignoring her daughter’s pleas. “Now!” She added harshly, reaching for the call button on her bedside that would summon a nurse. 

Archie gave Betty another frantic look but they both knew there was nothing, short of trying to take on the incredibly large man in front of him, that he could do to stop this. “It’s okay,” She whispered softly, squeezing his hand, seeming to resign herself to this fate. “Call your dad, tell him what’s happening.” She reiterated, so quietly only he could hear her as she drew him in for a tight hug. “I love you,” she muttered against his neck, before drawing back and turning towards the nun and her companion. “I’ll go- you don’t have to use the-” But it was too late, as soon as she’d stepped away from Archie, the orderly was jabbing the needle into her shoulder and then- her body went limp.

“BETTY!” Archie’s voice rose to desperate levels as he watched her eyes flutter shut and her body fall lifelessly, only to be caught by the pair of strong arms that had just administered the drugs into her system. 


End file.
